Siobhan Wilson – Thaw
On her latest album Thaw, Edinburgh singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson discovers the boundless possibilities of the electric guitar
This latest full-length from Edinburgh’s Siobhan Wilson touches on many themes including, but not limited to, friendships, wanderlust and the cosmos, but if there’s a relationship that’s key to the record, it’s Wilson’s own with the electric guitar. Known previously for a more folky, pastoral sound, Wilson has clearly come to understand the power that amplification can provide, especially when used minimally. Thaw is loosely conceptual – side A inspired by summer, and side B by winter – but in truth, its mood shifts continually. Opener Starlove is somewhere at the junction between grunge and shoegaze, while Snowflakes, thick with atmosphere, is straight out of Twin Peaks.
Some songs you might categorise as guitar-pop, including the charming On Est Bien, one of two tracks that Wilson, a one-time resident of Paris, sings in French; Paris Brûle is almost garage-y, whilst the title track is scored through with menace and suspense. The one constant on Thaw is the stripped-back palette, Wilson’s vocals and spare use of the electric guitar its key colours. It feels as if picking up the guitar has opened up new songwriting avenues for her; this might be the beginning of a rich new vein of form.
Listen to: Snowflakes, On Est Bien, Thaw