Hello Reader,
Hope you’re doing well. Welcome back to SWT.
Squirrel Flower is the self-appointed moniker of the artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ella Williams. She was born in the Boston suburb of Arlington, Massachusetts, and began her musical journey in a children’s choir before moving into Boston’s DIY scene. Williams began writing gorgeous songs about the Midwest while attending college in Iowa. She self-released Early Winter Songs from Middle America EP (2015), and the Contact Sports EP (2016), before joining the Polyvinyl Records label.
Polyvinyl has championed the Midwest indie scene since 1995. While they have released records by the biggest bands of the time, they’ve also supported bands and artists with a wider demographic. I was a big fan of their catalog and roster in the 2010s when my vinyl collection was at its peak. Post-Nothing (2009) and Celebration Rock(2012), both from the Japandroids, are two of my favorites. I’m refamiliarizing myself with their current roster again now that Scummy Water Tower exists.
While the world was sheltered inside in January 2020 because of COVID-19, Squirrel Flower released her debut studio full-length album, I Was Born Swimming. The album was met with positive reviews and established Williams to a wider audience than she had. A year later, her second label studio album, Planet (i), saw her development as a creative and a songwriter and garnered Williams even more positive reviews. And last year she released Planet EP a more minimalist sounding album with her at the controls of all instrumentation.
Squirrel Flower’s newest album, Tomorrow’s Fire, was released October 13th on Polyvinyl Records and can be found in any format you can imagine. Tomorrow’s Fire 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: We were not compensated for our thoughts; all thoughts are entirely my own.
Some hype videos,
The anthemic, “Full Time Job”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl)
The professionally shot, “Alley Light”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl)
The assured, anthemic, “Stick”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl)
The captivating, “Canyon”:
(All credits and rights to Squirrel Flower and Polyvinyl)
Contributors to the album’s sound are:
- Squirrel Flower played guitars and sang the hell out of vocals on every song. In addition, she played Keys on “i don’t use a trash can” and “inthaskatepark” and played a great bass on “Full Time Job,” and “Stick.”
- Producer, Mixer, Engineer and multi-instrumentionalist Alex Farrar who played exceptional guitar on “Full Time Job,” “Alley Light” and “Finally Rains,” perfect drums on “Full Time Job,” “Alley Light,” “Almost Pulled Away” and “Stick,” superb keys on “Stick,” “inthaskatepark,” “Canyon,” “What Kind Of Dream Is This?” and “Finally Rains,” and some fabulous Bass guitar on “inthaskatepark”
- Dave Hartley played fantastic bass guitar on “Alley Light,” “Almost Pulled Away,” “When A Plant Is Dying,” “Canyon,” “Finally Rains.”
- Matt McCaughan played integral percussion on “Alley Light,” “Stick” “What Kind Of Dream Is This?” and “Canyon” and drums on “When A Plant Is Dying,” “Canyon,” and “Finally Rains.”
- Ethan Baechtold the sole pianist, played piano succinctly on “Finally Rains.”
- Nate Williams contributed the superb welding field recording on “Canyon.”
- Jake Lenderman played guitar adeptly on “Full Time Job,” and “When A Plant Is Dying.”
- Seth Kaufmann played guitar nicely on “When A Plant Is Dying.”
“The songs I write are not always autobiographical, but they’re always true.” – Ella Williams. And Tomorrow’s Fire continues that statement. Every song features outstanding use of refrains to augment the lyrics and melodies. Squirrel Flower has a confident, exquisite voice. I adored it when the refrains were fortified further via vocal layering. Tomorrow’s Fire is still Ella Williams’ own voice and recognizable sound and musicianship, but the sound is enriched with other musicians’ assistance. Alex Farrar’s contributions are both essential and amazing. The full band sound you hear on this album is paired so damn well with Squirrel Flower’s creative lyrical and melodic choices of a rock-forward sound, making the assured step from indie folk into indie rock territory. The flow from song to song is exceptional, and the sonic quality is excellent. Kudos to all involved.
The opening song on Tomorrow’s Fire, “i dont use a trash can,” features literal lyrics about laundry. But it is truly about resistance. Squirrel Flower sings with strong vocal delivery and uses a refrain and layering to create a wonderful choral-like vocal effect. For the first of many times on the album.
The second song, “Full Time Job,” is about disenchantment with societal standards and expectations over a striking melody made up of several guitars, a bass guitar, drums, keys, and percussion. The refrains truly drive the lyrics into your mind.
The next song, “Alley Light,” is sung from afar, from a male perspective, seemingly recounting a night out with a woman. The lyrics don’t offer closure and suggest he’s longing for more, though she doesn’t want more. There is a nice full band sound to create a melody that pairs well with Squirrel Flower’s vocals.
“Almost Pulled Away” tells of the myriad of feelings and sensations of bliss and yearning during a new romance. Hartley’s bass and Squirrel Flower’s guitars really stand out, creating a strong melody.
The fifth song, “Stick,” is about someone who is beyond frustrated and despairing. They had clear boundaries and comfort zones. The forceful drumbeats set an assured tempo for the song.
“When A Plant Is Dying” features dispirited lyrics and vocals about one’s self-image, and the melody matches the cranked-up guitars. The song ends with a sliver of hope.
“Inthaskatepark” tells of memories in the Summer. Romance. It is the only song without drums on the album. Squirrel Flower and Farrar both play keys, and Squirrel Flower is also on the guitar, which elicits a catchy pop-like melody.
The next song, “Canyon,” tells a literal story of defiance over the top of excellent guitar by Squirrel Flower and Hartley and outstanding drums and percussion by McCaughan, resulting in a measured melody and catchy pace until the lyrics evolve into questioning existence, refrains, and an awesome welding field recording effect by Nate Williams to close the song.
“What Kind of Dream Is This?” is a real slow burner melodically. The instrumentation plays at a steadfast pace. Squirrel Flower adds vocals on top of her own, creating a wonderfully haunting echo effect. Almost like she’s her own chorus.
The closing song on the album, “Finally Rains,” is a realization. Coupled with a resolute refrain, a second layer of vocals by Squirrel Flower is placed on top of her own to create another hauntingly beautiful effect. This is the only song on Tomorrow’s Fire that includes a piano, and the pianist, Baechtold, creates the foundation of a great melody. Paired with keyboards, driving guitars, and bass guitars, it becomes a defiant performance. An exceptional way to end.
Tomorrow’s Fire gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. This is an excellent album. Using confident vocal delivery, terrific lyrics, and impeccable lyrical techniques, Squirrel Flower improves upon previous works. Williams, Alex Farrar, and a list of contributors shine in their musicianship and creativity as well. Definitely worth listening to on repeat. I highly recommend this album. Add it to your collection!
Tomorrow’s Fire track list:
- i don’t use a trash can (2:57)
- Full Time Job (1:57)
- Alley Light (3:14)
- Almost Pulled Away (4:17)
- Stick (3:02)
- When A Plant Is Dying (4:26)
- Inthaskatepark (2:25)
- Canyon (3:52)
- What Kind of Dream Is This? (4:04)
- Finally Rains (4:08)
Total run time: 34:12
Links to her site, with tour info, and all the socials:
https://www.squirrelflower.net/
Some direct info on where to listen and buy Tomorrow’s Fire:
https://squirrelflower.ffm.to/tomorrows-fire
Thanks 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
