Hill captures the essence of folk in this intimate album

The warmth and inexplicable familiarity of the folk genre flourish in the sounds of Natalie Jane Hill. Her sophomore release, Solely, is a testament to the atmospheric and personal attributes of her music. Tackling themes of self-reflection and growth while maintaining the naturalistic elements of her earlier releases, Solely offers a compelling and sentimental portrait of an emerging artist coming into her own. 

Solely is filled with a rich combination of timbres and meticulous compositions, a deviation from the more simplistic compositions of Hill’s previous album. Described on her Bandcamp as “an outward push into an expanded sonic palette,” Solely includes an expansive collection of instruments such as fiddle, cello, pedal steel guitars, autoharp and various percussive elements. These instrumental additions throughout the album add a sense of depth and further accentuate Hill’s captivating vocals. 

The album opens with “Euphoria,” establishing its atmosphere with finger-plucked guitar riffs sitting atop a sustained string section and faint steel pedal guitars. A prominent feature of this song, along with many other tracks on the album, is portamento between notes. Whether it’s the sliding of the steel pedals, the glissandos of the string section or the glide between pitches in Hill’s vocals, this further solidifies the folk character of the music.

The instrumentation is stretched even farther on “Little Teeth,” where a vibraphone is introduced. This adds a modern twist to the older folk sounds Hill utilizes and adds a sparkle to the music. In both “Little Teeth” and the following track, “If I Were A Willow,” there is a lovely interplay between Hill’s vocals and the fiddle, almost as if the two were having a conversation.

“Plants And Flowers That Do Not Grow Here” marks a thematic shift. Hill’s finger-picking guitar pattern is slowed, and the track moves harmonically within a minor mode with soft string sustains. This aural soundscape matches the uneasy lyrics. In an interview with The Bluegrass Situation, Hill explains that this track is “about trying to navigate through a time of addiction while in a disassociated state.” Hill ends the song in a vocal canon with herself, further reflecting dissociation and a sense of lostness. Following this is “To Feel Alone,” which has a stripped-back and minimalistic quality, giving the listener a moment of respite in the midpoint of the album.

The title track kicks off the second half of the album and revamps the energy. Hill’s vocals are especially strong on this track, with beautiful parallel harmonization within her stacked vocal melodies. Gesturing toward country elements, sliding steel pedal guitar accompaniment and cymbal roll crescendos are featured throughout. Contrasting this, “Pretty View” is a sonic reminiscence to Hill’s earlier work, featuring her delicate vocals and guitar fingerpicking without much else. 

Mimicking the strumming pattern and general mood of the opening track, “Orb Weaver” quite literally weaves together timbres to create a continuous musical idea. This movement slows to a beautiful instrumental break in the center of the track, with a flourishing of warmth from the instruments, only to grow once more when Hill’s vocals return. Following this, the final two tracks provide a satisfying conclusion to Solely, with many of the elements of the previous songs aiding this success.

Solely is a cohesive, intimate album and a joy to consume from start to finish. Hill shows a musical maturity far beyond her years and has managed to capture the sounds of old folk and country music while still feeling fresh and relevant. With a clear sense of growth between her first album to now and no sign of slowing, Hill’s work should be on every folk fan’s radar.