Recently oigned to Song, By Toad upon her return to Scotland from an extended stay in France, Siobhan Wilson releases ‘Whatever Helps’, the first taster of her upcoming debut full-length album There Are No Saints due in July.
Immediately, ‘Whatever Helps’ shows off a more darker tone than her earlier, more twee-sounding material; the delicately soft vocal remain, but it is now layered, and more ominous sounding.
The track is an ode to fighting against a lost love, and the depression that comes with it.
Wilson chimes on the haunting chorus “you’re stuck in the break of a wave, you’re haunted by a line from a song, you’re beaten by the weight of a prayer trying to move on”, which will perhaps more accurately portray the feeling of crushing depression more than any other you will ever hear.
‘Whatever Helps’ never really goes anywhere and the reverb-drenched lone guitar that accompanies her vocal is near enough atonal, however therein lies its beauty.
The lack of a backing band allows Wilson’s gorgeous voice to drift like a lonely stranger passing through the night.
Despite an extended period of not even living in the country, Wilson has been talked about for several years as an exciting talent amongst folk music circles in Scotland.
Now that she’s back, and supported by a label who are reknowned for giving artists their freedom to create, the Elgin-born singer is on the cusp of something special.
If ‘Whatever Helps’ is to set the tone for her record, expect it to be the vital soundtrack to an inevitably bleak summer.
Words: Graham McCusker
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