Squirrel Flower – Planet (i)
Ella Williams faces her fear of disasters on her second album as Squirrel Flower, Planet (i), and ultimately regains control
I'll Go Running – the opening track on Ella Williams’ second album as Squirrel Flower – is a statement of intent. 'I’ll tell you everything / I’ll give away every part' she sings, and she stands by her word.
Planet (i) is not only the title of the album, but also the name given to Williams’ musical universe. It’s a world in which she is forced to battle through constant chaos, where the natural world both amazes and terrifies her. It feels like a cathartic release, where she faces her fear of disasters head-on – through floods, tornadoes and burning cars – and she firmly places us within that world right alongside her.
On Deluge In The South, she’s 'stuck in chiffon shining' during a flood in Texas; on Flames and Flat Tires, she uses the image of a car on fire speeding down streets at 4am as a metaphor for her broken body rebuilding. By Desert Wildflowers, though, Williams is in control: 'I’m not scared of the water / The rain is my parent and I am the daughter'. Her fears have been faced, and her mind is at ease.
Listen to: I’ll Go Running, Roadkill