by Kris Handel
Solely, is the sophomore album from Natalie Jane Hill and its possessed of rolling folky guitar and an abundance of the most beautiful melodies and vocals one could imagine. Hill creates beauty of all different types on these ten tracks, each composition delivering something different in intensity and technique. Her songwriting is near impeccable and touches on nature, the interaction of feelings and oneself, and other emotional complexities with a warmth and depth that is truly compelling. This record paints a picture of peace and compassion for everything around oneself, and Hill's guitar playing (either finger picked or strummed) is hypnotic as a warming glow envelops the whole album.
"Euphoria" opens the record with gloriously rolling finger picked guitar work accompanied by winsome cello provided by Tony Rogers and Sadie Wolfe that swells and relents providing the base for Hill's lush vocals. Her lyrics weave between wonderment and a dream-like presentation that hides a darker undercurrent of uncertainty and hopes not being met in reality which presents a dynamic contrast. "If I Were a Willow" stutters along with meditative and hypnotic guitar while Hill's vocals take a softer tone that allows the listener to get lost in a moment of calming reflection. She shows off a deft touch with flowing musicality here thats easy to lose yourself in and allows for a moment of beauty that the listener hopes will not relent.
On the title track Hill's vocals add a bit of twang that brings forward a tinge of hesitance and sadness as pedal steel moans softly in the background layers. The hesitance that pervades everything here just adds another dimension of character and shows the range that she has to play with in her melodies and songwriting approaches. "Orb Weaver" hits you with cello that creeps alongside drifting pedal steel to provide a rich atmosphere for Hill to admire the work of a spider that provides inspiration. There is a wide environment of sound that swells and uses all the space available to wrap the listener in a blanket of enchantment thats hard to escape.
Hill and her accompaniment manage to meld so many different aspects that are familiar in folk-influenced music, but this record does so effortlessly and opens up new paths of exploration that are hard to ignore. She has a way with songwriting that allows everything to unfold, even in the more pensive moments that pop up here, to carry a grace and beauty that seems to glide effortlessly out of the ether. The variation in tone and storytelling are a strength of this record that never dissipates, the ability to change mood and environment makes the music truly come alive. It’s very easy to get lost in the stunningly gorgeous Solely and this is a record that seems timeless in its reflections on life and love that truly blooms with every hushed note and expression held within it.