ALTERNATIVE; INDIE FOLK; FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITER

Vera Sola (real name is Danielle Aykroyd) is a multi-instrumentalist, poet, songwriter, singer, and producer. This is her second full-length album (following a 2018 debut). Her voice is a smoky, muscular alto. (I thought of Lana Del Rey; you may agree or not.) The songs here are odd, atmospheric, sometimes gothic. Instrumentation is (variously) acoustic or electric guitars, steel guitar, bass, drums. synth, and occasional strings.

FCC in track 5

1 * Mid-tempo. Cali forests on fire; we didn’t heed warning. acoustic gtr, bass, horns (2:59)
2 * Fast. Departures & potential returns. fuzzy electric guitar, firm drumming (3:53)
3 * Slow. Ambiguous feelings (“I love you; I’m lying; Am I?”) acoustic gtr, tomtoms (5:27)
4 * Mid-fast. Odd imagery. Multiple elec guitars, trumpet. Intriguing syncopation. (3:30)
5 FCC (several). Mid-tempo. Pretty melody, 6/8 dance. Multiple sexual references (4:43)
6 Very slow. Patsy Cline style heartache. Acoustic & pedal steel guitars (2:35)
7 Slow. Somber & haunting. Acoustic guitar & bass, strings (4:07)
8 VERY slow. The many things one’s hands can do. Odd, spooky feeling (3:51)
9 Slow. A dreamy recollection of seeing someone after a long time (4:43)
10 ** Mid-fast. Good rocking song, strange lyric; elec guitar & bass, drums. Urgent (4:51)
11 ** Slow to mid. Horribly ironic twist on St Francis’s “peace prayer.” Acoustic (3:46)