Petals For Armor I — Hayley Williams
#SocialDistancingSoundtrack Day 28:
I’ll be the first to admit it: Petals For Armor is not at all what I would’ve guessed that the solo debut of Paramore’s Hayley Williams would sound like. In fact, I’m happy to have been so caught off guard. The energy on this brief but powerful introduction is beautiful.
“Rage is a quiet thing
Ooh, you think that you tamed it
But it’s just lying in wait”
The opening words of Simmer kick the project off with a fitting grin. It’s a purposeful rush of frantic intensity, running through a maze of an arrangement with precision. Brush drums akin to early Björk works rush to keep pace with Williams’ blistering lyrics, the best of which are delivered with sheer, awe-inspiring conviction:
“If my child needed protection
From a fucker like that man,
I’d sooner gut him
‘Cause nothing cuts like a mother”
The instrumentals range from shuddering and skeletal on Sudden Desire to several moments of jazz-inspired groove. On Cinnamon, her voice dances on shuffling drums to find balance in solitude.
“Eat my breakfast in the nude
Lemon water, living room
Home is where I’m feminine”
Leave It Alone is a clear centerpiece. The arrangement alone is stunning: softly strummed guitar and snare side sticks flourish into a Radiohead-recalling broken beat shuffle backed by glistening satin strings. The effect is of a long lost 90s classic being restored with tasteful modern production. Paired with Williams’ lyrics, though, the song reveals new depth. She addresses the painful confusion of losing a loved one slowly to dementia, poring through grief, anger, and fear. It’s a gorgeously raw exploration of the human reaction to an unimaginable disease that attacks our humanity.
Petals For Armor wields emotion as a shield. Completely sidestepping the anxiety of a debut, Williams chose to paint her jagged edges rather than smooth them for palatability. It’s a promising start to a bold new direction.
