React & Review: Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor
I had a Sudden Desire to listen to this album.
It’s no secret that I have a newfound love for Hayley Willams and her band Paramore. They create fantastic music and for a few years during the pandemic, Hayley decided to release some music as a solo artist.
I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest fan of Paramore, but I’ve listened to enough of the band’s music to consider myself an avid fan.
Today, I’ll be looking at Hayley Willams’ solo album Petals For Armor. To be completely transparent, I’ve heard a few songs off of the album before and have said songs in my library. However, this is a pretty lengthy album. I’ll notate songs I’ve heard before as we go along.
So without further ado, here’s my first reaction and review of Hayley Willams’ Petals For Armor.
Simmer
Naturally, the first track on the album is a song I’ve heard before. However, it’s been quite some time since I last heard it, so this should be a good time.
I’m in love with the ad libs right from the start. That groove is very addicting. It has me bobbing my head already and we’re not even a minute into the song yet. The build up is quite nice as well. She got rid of the ad libs once the first verse started, but began to reintroduce them as the verse went on.
It’s definitely a me thing, but the S’ in her vocals are very sharp. Very notable during the chorus, specifically.
I love the bridge here as well. Got rid of all the extra ear candies. We’re back to the basics. It’s very soothing and a bit psychedelic if I’m being honest.
Being the first song, I hope this is setting me up for the rest of the album because the sound is much different than what Paramore has released before. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I’m really loving the vibe.
Leave It Alone
The first few seconds sent me through a loop. Not unusual, but it is quite interesting that the track started on the off beat.
This track is much softer than the first. It sounds very intimate and personal. Her vocal is pushed up much further here. The percussion is pushed out. I love the hi-hat here. It’s very sharp and panned to the right ear. It’s very in your face (or ear, I guess).
There’s not much else to say here, I think. It’s a very intimate, personal, and soft ballad. You can really feel the raw emotion in her vocals.
Cinnamon
I’m about 30 seconds into the track and I have no idea how I feel about it. Definitely a, "What the fuck did I just listen to?" sort of vibe. Not in a bad way, obviously. My delayed processing went, "I need more time than usual to process what I just heard." So in a rare instance, I’m giving the first 30 seconds another listen. It’s interesting, that’s for sure.
Yeah, that didn’t stop. But I don’t hate it. As the song starts to build, I get more and more into it. I love the abstract nature of this track. It’s got so much going on with very little actually going on. It kept me on my toes and I’m here for it.
That bridge is absolutely killer. It’s the least abstract part of the album, but it’s a nice break.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this track ends up being one of my favorite tracks off of the album in the long term. I just love how different it is.
Creepin’
This track reminds me a lot of the Figure 8 remix off of Re: This Is Why. I think this has a lot to do with the driving groove. Obviously, it has a much different sound than that track, but the vibe is very similar.
Her backing vocals in the chorus are so good. That plus, the various sighs that sit underneath the backing vocals scratch my brain in a very good way.
I think most of you would agree with me, but this has a very "creepy" vibe. Like, this could fit into a Halloween playlist and I’d be perfectly okay with it.
I’m definitely in for a wild ride because I’ve genuinely loved every track so far. If I had to predict, I’d say it’ll be very difficult for me to decide my top tracks on this album.
Sudden Desire
I have this song in my library. But quite honestly, I don’t remember adding it or much of anything about it.
Whatever the opposite of a driving groove is, this track is it. The groove feels like it’s ahead of the vocals here.
This track is most certainly the most energetic of the bunch. It’s the last track on Volume 1 of this album, and it sounds like we’re gonna end it with a bang.
Her vocals are very aggressive here. Not quite angry, but shouty. Of course, as soon as I say that, I’m here at the bridge. Very gentle, and intimate. She definitely knows how to write killer bridges, that’s for sure.
Dead Horse
This is the first track I’ve ever heard from this album. I’m absolutely in love with it. It’s one of those tracks that sound really fun and upbeat but is lyrically the saddest thing you’ve ever heard.
Not quite as upbeat, but the closest track I can compare it to is Hard Times. Fun track, but depressing lyrically.
I’d argue it’s a great track to introduce you to Hayley’s personal brand if you’re coming from Paramore. It’s still distinctly her, but it has influences from the music her and her band create.
My Friend
Naturally, the vibe changes completely. I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s happened so often. Yet, here I am.
Once again, her ad libs. At this point, I just want a compilation of all of her ad libs. She just does them so well. Never overdone, it’s always methodical and fits perfectly within the track.
It’s another abstract song and I’m here for it. Once again, I have to applaud the production of her backing vocals. Wonderfully and tastefully done.
That bridge (pre-bridge?), wow. In the best way, just took the energy out of the track and put it back. The bridge itself has the same effect. If I’m being completely honest, her bridges are excellent, but the transitions into the outros are on a whole new level. She makes you forget you were in the bridge because the next thing you know, the song is over.
Over Yet
Another track I added to my library, but have no recollection of what it sounds like. But I clearly liked it enough to add it at one point.
Wow. This track is way different than anything else on the album thus far. The track sounds more pop than anything before it. I can see why I had it added.
The chorus on this track is sending me back to the 80s. It has that vibe to it. Again, I could see how this ended up in my library. It’s most certainly up my alley in terms of my everyday listening.
The key takeaway for me from this track is… if Hayley Williams ever released an 80s vibe pop album, I would be all over it. Just sayin’ Ms. Williams.
Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris
I love the intro to this track. Again, my word is abstract. Which is ironic, because right after that intro, we’ve got a relatively simple track with a relatively easy song structure. I just noticed this is a near five and a half minute track. I think this is the longest track on the album thus far.
I wonder if the track title is giving me a clue, at all. Maybe the track is split into multiple parts. About three minutes in and it sounds like we might get a change up? Or maybe it’s an early bridge?
It’s a percussion heavy track. And I didn’t notice till near the end of the track. But her main vocal track is very low in the mix. Her backing vocals are substantially louder and so are the percussion.
I’m in love with the outro of the track, though. We don’t often get an instrumental outro, but I’m here for it.
Why We Ever
The last track on Volume 2. And so far, I’m vibing with this track. It’s soothing and is giving me a late 90s pop ballad vibe. That synth, although low in the mix, is definitely carrying the track for me.
This song is a certified head bopper. It might not be an upbeat, dance track. But it’s making me want to get up and move.
Oh wow, that change up at around the 1:50 mark. Just as I was writing that last sentence, we’re going full on ballad now. I’m in love with the fact that she left in the creaks and cracks from the recording. In a world where production can be perfect, I like the imperfection here.
The soft drums are getting me as well. It’s allowing the production to be imperfect. Near the outro, the various cymbals and hi-hats have got me obsessed. Most certainly a top three track for me.
Pure Love
Another track that’s in my library. But again, I’m going to sound like a broken record, I don’t recall what this track sounds like at all.
Okay, maybe I’m actually getting what I want. Not even 15 seconds in and that 80s pop vibe is starting to kick in again. It’s most certainly more laid back than the other tracks, but I’m still getting that vibe.
My best description is this track sounds silky smooth. The hi-hats and cymbals are there but have a hi-pass filter to them. They’re not sharp or in your face. The bass and kick drum have a lot of body to them, but not a whole lot of rumbling. Again, mimicking a low-pass filter.
Taken
Right away, I love her stabby vocals. It’s a bit of talk singing but with a hint of more aggression in the tonality. Another certified head bopper.
I’m really loving the drum beat here, purely for the clear instead of the snare. Consequently, I’m really loving the faster hi-hat pattern as well.
I can’t really put my finger on it. But my heart is telling me that I really love this track. It’s a mystery to me, too. I’m just really vibing with it.
Sugar On The Rim
The practical effects at the beginning are great. The heavy bassline is a nice change of pace. The panning Sugar on the rim lyric is giving me Madonna vibes. So is the chorus.
If there was a track where I could point to an influence, this song is definitely it. The Madonna influence is obvious. And that’s cool. I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest Madonna fan, but I am a fan of her work.
I can’t shake it, yeah. Its influence is undeniable. The bridge is giving Hung Up vibes.
Watch Me While I Bloom
That synth at the beginning is interesting. I’m only 30 seconds in but this track is giving space. It might not seem like it at first. But the first verse is purposely simple and intimate to give space for more coming later. And I was right. The chorus widened the soundstage a bit.
I didn’t think we’d get vocal effects with this album. And I was correct up until this point. I’m actually a bit surprised she did it and for the backing vocals no less. It’s a cool effect but if it weren’t obvious, I like her pure vocals.
This track makes me feel whelmed. Not overwhelmed, or underwhelmed. Just whelmed. That’s the vibe I get from this song. It’s mellow. It’s not sad, but it doesn’t make you feel like you can get up and dance. It’s a delicate balance.
Crystal Clear
It’s the last track and it’s also a track I had added to my library. You know the drill.
I’ve said it before, but this album is unique. Every track is different and this is no different. Its pacing is much slower than the last few tracks. It’s a certified head bopper in its own right.
It’s hard to put into words the why. But it just feels like the perfect track to end the album. It’s a song that feels like it should be the last track. And it is.
Conclusion
What an absolute banger of an album. It’s a vibe, and it’s not going to be for everyone.
If you’re used to Paramore, this album is more toned down than what you’re used to. But I can tell from this album that she’s been wanting to release something beyond the band for quite some time.
It’s a no skip album for me, every song was excellent in its own right. Unlike other albums where there’s a clear theme, Petals For Armor is an album where each song is unique. No two songs are necessarily related, yet they all feel like they belong on the album.
Also, it needs to be said... in the modern era, I appreciate the fact that this album came in three so-called "Volumes." It’s not a three-part album, it’s not a long, interrupted album. I kinda love that.
I highly recommend Petals For Armor, if that weren’t obvious. We’ll see how it holds up six months from now. But for the time being, I’m most certainly going to be playing this album frequently. I love this album so much that I may check out her only other solo album after this. Maybe.
NOTE: This album reaction and review was completed after listening to Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor (24-bit, 96 kHz) on the Tidal desktop app with an active Tidal subscription.