REVIEW: A Love Letter to Being Alive, WILLOW’s ‘The Thread’
WRITTEN BY MAKENZIE TAFRALIAN
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Photo by Sabra Binder
WILLOW is, without a doubt, the singular most underrated voice of this generation. Proven time and time again with every consecutive release, the star has come a long way from the cultural phenomenon that was her debut single, “Whip My Hair” in 2010. While the artists’ music today is far more layered and elevated, it carries a similar energy with her signature spirit and effortless expression of the human experience.
The Thread is WILLOW’s eighth studio album, following petal rock black released early this year. It is nothing short of a love letter addressed to the self, to one another, the universe and everything in between. Coming from a long-time WILLOW listener, the artist feels most comfortable in this latest project. Moving from sounds that stunned us in iconic standout tracks like alt pop ‘Meet Me at Our Spot’ and the edgier ‘t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l,’ Grammy-nominated artist WILLOW carries jazzier influences into unexplored places in The Thread.
This has to be my favorite project of WILLOW’s yet. There is something so raw and unmatched when it comes to listening to her music. Her ability to transport listeners into her world with such unique and singular storytelling and unrivaled composition is impressive time and time again. Each listen to this project is fresh, and I make new discoveries even two months after its release. I really feel she is most grounded and confident in these tracks. She is so deep in her bag here, the fact that she’s totally showing off vocally, too, makes The Thread all the more stunning as a body of work. Between her prophetic songwriting, masterful production and commandment of her audience, anyone listening to WILLOW is sure to be put in a trance.
“Talk on the Hill,” the lead single from the album, caught me completely off guard. It really wasn’t until I heard this track in context of the album did I come to fully appreciate its ferocity. This song gets better every single listen. I almost feel it was a kind of offering, as one of the best songs off the album being released straight away is like showing too much of your hand, yet it really does just get better from there. It’s transportive, between her angelic tone, fierce basslines, and magical synths WILLOW creates worlds within her music unlike any other artist.
Another one of my favorites on this album has to be “Shrink To Fantasy,” for it has such special soul. It serves as a reminder that we are infinite, divine, limitless beings, even beyond our most outlandish imaginations. An incantation on knowing one’s worth, she says, “I am not a fantasy fulfiller, Not a golden trophy hanging on your wall. I’m bursting at the seams with possibility.” She reminds us in this most romantic track that even in union with another soul, the value we place ourselves at remains the most important consideration.
“Tall Baby,” is a masterpiece, a perfect picture painted in words how the evolution of womanhood feels; “‘Cause I’m just a child, trying to be a woman, learning to hold this spirit, watch me, watch me.” This is one of those songs that felt like it was written for me, which is a great feat from a songwriting perspective. Presented with high energy on the track itself and relaxed wind-swept vocals, she captures so accurately the contrast of anxiety, calm and bit of aggression that can come from this feminine phenomenon.
Finally, “The Present Moment,” the second to last track on The Thread will have you singing along to the chorus instantly while the prose in the verses unravels in your ears. Somehow the singer superbly crafts a song about focusing on the beauty of living in the moment while simultaneously addressing that small sliver of darkness that creeps quietly in the corner. The creeping thought that eats at us, the one nagging that nothing lasts forever and moments can be fleeting, lingering forever around our heads without any conscious desire to dwell on it - yet there is no use for us to let it. This song, like several others on this album, so flawlessly finds the nuance that exists in our everyday life - this life that can sometimes be scary and all the while so beautiful at the same time. From within the darkness we find the light, for the only path for us is forward and there is great beauty that still remains unseen.
It’s hard for me to stop myself from talking about every track on The Thread, though there is so much left to discover that isn’t covered here. Give the album a listen and find the track that feels the most like it was written for you, WILLOW’s The Thread available on all streaming platforms now.
