Hello reader,
Welcome back.
Today, we’re going to delve into Squirrel Flower, which is the self-appointed moniker of the artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ella Williams, born in the Boston suburb of Arlington, Massachusetts, who first started her own musical journey in a children’s choir and then within the DIY scene in Boston. Williams began writing gorgeous songs about the Midwest while attending college in Iowa. She self-released the Early Winter Songs from Middle America EP (2015) and the Contact Sports EP (2016) before joining Polyvinyl Records.
While the world was sheltered inside in January 2020 because of COVID-19, Squirrel Flower released her debut full-length studio album, I Was Born Swimming. The album earned positive reviews and introduced Williams to a wider audience. A year later, in 2021, her second label studio album, Planet (i), showcased her growth as a creative and songwriter and earned Williams even more positive reviews. In 2022, she released Planet EP, a more minimalist-sounding album with her controlling all instrumentation. She followed that up with the full-length album Tomorrow’s Fire (2023), which was met with widespread acclaim. The album was named after a fictional novel about the Third Crusade (1189-1192 AD) that Ella Williams’ grandfather Jay wrote in 1964. Jay wrote dozens of published books, including many science fiction works for the under-18 reader.
Full disclosure, I’m a big fan, having reviewed her 2023 album Tomorrow’s Fire right after SWT launched and ranked it highly among my best albums of that year. See how high right here. And reminisce on 2023 in music, too. If you’re a long-time SWT reader, you know we keep it objective as we advocate for great music that might be too underappreciated.
And on Friday, August 21st, via Polyvinyl Records, comes the next chapter in Squirrel Flower’s discography: the album, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going.
One of the press releases for the album notes, “Spanning 2024 and 2025, the writing process for Say A Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is an account of the locations and the characters Williams encountered as she traveled across vast American biomes. Tracked live at makeshift studio Merry Meadow in Door County, WI, with a cast of Chicago music heads including co-producers Seth Engel and Jack Henry [Lickerman], and later painstakingly refined to perfection in Asheville, NC, by Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Waxahatchee) at his Drop of Sun Studios, Say a Prayer’s production mirrors its songwriting process.
Farrar, a producer known for a prolific indie rock sound, surprised Williams by amplifying the quietest, most delicate aspects of her music. ‘He was encouraging me to lean into this ethereal, yet grounded, spacious yet textured folk music that’s so true to the early days of Squirrel Flower,’ Williams states. The recording captures Williams’ voice with newfound clarity; she has never sounded so much like herself. In addition to Dave Hartley (The War on Drugs) and Seth Kauffman (Angel Olsen, Floating Action), both of whom played on Williams’ 2023 album Tomorrow’s Fire, Williams enlisted a cast of friends including Dimitri Giannopoulos, Sofia Jensen (Free Range), Clay Frankel (Twin Peaks), Andy Krull (Red PK), Book not Brooke (Babywave), and even family members Jameson, Jesse, and Nate Williams.
In many ways, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is about itself, about the process of its creation on the road. That isn’t to say that Say a Prayer is a travelogue. It’s more of a bittersweet testament to exploration and self-possession, longing and musing. Vividly personal, it’s like a set of abandoned scrapbooks filled with ephemera, harvested from the side of the dusty freeway by some highway woman over her decades, piled up in a banker’s box in a backyard shed, tenuously protected from a desert monsoon. Past experiences lovingly chronicled, the future remains open for Williams as she hopes for a sign to help her know when to get going and when to stay still.”
Now that we’ve read about the album, it’s time to explore its songs a bit more. Here’s some hype for both your eyes and ears via Squirrel Flowers’ YouTube channel in collaboration with Polyvinyl Records channel. Squirrel Flower had some incredible videos for her last album and she continues the trend with this new album. Check those older videos out too after you finish this review.
He’s cute, but he doesn’t like Cleveland. Disappointing. The very Midwest sorrow within the video for the gorgeous song “Cleveland”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl Records)
Stripped-down guitar to open, followed by funk, some electric guitar, and more in the video for the song “Not Me”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl Records)
The video has an industrial beach setting. The song features lyrics about reeling her back again. Check out the song “Reelin”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl Records)
Blissful, soothing, calming of a powerwashing pov video for the song “Sick Tooth”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl Records)
Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is another step forward in the evolution of both Squirrel Flower as a songcrafter and the definition of what is part of her sound as she progresses through time and space. While listening to this album, there were several songs that triggered old memories of listening to her previous album for me. And I think, listener, you’ll feel the same way. Is triggering old memories and picking up where you left off a good thing? Do we need to ask that question? For some music fans, that nostalgia is a sweet spot. Some artists are best in that zone; they thrive in it, others not so much, even if some fans cling to it, chanting to hear the hits and only the hits when seeing the performers live. Are those truly fans of that artist, or do they selfishly just want to hear what they want to hear? I won’t wax poetic any further, as this isn’t the time nor the place to ponder more on those interesting questions. What I will note is that I hope you show respect and appreciation for Creatives when you are able to do so. And that often songwriters carry songs from album to album; if it doesn’t fit one, it’s discussed further, perhaps tweaked and worked on, and put onto the next album. So melodies and themes sometimes carry over. Sometimes that’s planned from the start, as one album flows into the next, evolving as we listen. I think when that happens, it is a wonderful thing. Knowing that Williams was writing as she traveled after the last album release is evident in the best ways. Kudos.
From the opening notes to the closing ones, as themes, moods, and vibes shift from darker to lighter and back again, from traveling to relationships to reflections to longing to aging and other events on her mind, Williams’ voice stays confident and sticks with you. It remains powerful, and she captivates the room with her energy, which ebbs and flows. Amen to the human experience. Meanwhile, the listener becomes wrapped up in emotion. Not only the emotion Williams conveys, but also your own response to that. How it makes you feel. While listening to Squirrel Flower, you’re in your feels, in the best ways. I believe that Williams is better than most in the present day at doing this, and she’s been doing so for more than just this album. If this is your first exposure to Squirrel Flower, please delve into her previous albums when the mood strikes.
Williams and multi-instrumentalist and excellent songcrafter Alex Farrar have created some gorgeous, lush, memorable melodies on this album. They prove once again that they work well together. Alongside contributions from co-producers Seth Engel (bass, drums on multiple songs) and Jack Henry Lickerman (drums on two songs). The main framework of instrumentation on the album includes drums, acoustic and bass, and electric guitars, and is expertly played. As are the Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keys. The musicians beautifully blend the instruments with the vocals, and the songcraft is exceptional. The returning cast, including Dave Hartley (bass on multiple songs), Seth Kauffman (guitar on “Not Me”), Ella’s brother Jesse Williams (bass on two songs), and newcomers to collaborate with Squirrel Flower like Dimitri Giannopoulos (guitar on two songs), Sofia Jensen (Fender Rhodes on two songs), Clay Frankel (voila, vocals on two songs), Andy Krull (guitar on multiple songs), the cello on “Not Me” via Book not Brooke, and family members Jameson (guitar on “Not Me”), and Nate Williams (vocals on two songs), truly all add something special to the final product. Kudos to all involved. Each song is lovely. Listen closely, and you’ll hear a surprise accordion. What can’t Ella Williams play?
Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me relative to all new full-length album releases in 2026. There’s a lot to like on this album. It’s a remarkable release, and it adds to the already impressive discography of Squirrel Flower. Add it to your collection in the format(s) of your choice. I recommend at least adding it on vinyl. Cause it needs to be heard on vinyl.
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The listening process with Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going will take a mere 35 minutes of your time from start to finish. And just over 70 minutes if you listen twice back-to-back. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After several listens, I found the songs highlighted in green below to be my favorites on this album.
The tracklist for Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going (song length)
- Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going (3:01)
- Cleveland (2:53)
- Not Me (3:17)
- Helicopters (3:39)
- Highway Woman (3:39)
- Reelin (2:42)
- Foot Thick Ice (3:20)
- Sick Tooth (1:40)
- Fought a Hornet (4:29)
- Surfing USA (3:10)
- Weightless, Untethered (3:40)
Total runtime: 35:30
Squirrel Flower’s awesome website with art, merch, and more is linked here. For socials, explore: Linktree, Instagram, and Facebook. Listen to her music via Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Check out tour dates, including shows in September, October, and November in the US. For her writing, visit her Bluesky and Substack.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
