Heather Findlay's 'Wild White Horses' - Album Review

Since leaving Mostly Autumn in 2010, Heather Findlay's solo career has been sporadic to say the least. While new releases have come fairly frequently, the amount of actual new music has been something of a rarity - with many of the albums featuring live or re-recorded versions of songs from throughout her career. So much so that 2019 - nine years after leaving the band that she had made her name with - saw the release of Findlay's debut full-length solo album, something which has been talked about for quite some time. The 'solo album' seems to have been something that she has struggled to get off the ground. If my memory serves me correctly, she started working on new material not long after leaving Mostly Autumn for an album; which turned into a series of EPs - only one of which was ever released. That debut release, The Phoenix Suite, which was released almost exactly a year after her final show with Mostly Autumn, showed a different Findlay than fans at the time were used to. The EP's stark, spiky sound was very different to the warm, layered sound that Mostly Autumn have become known for - but it was ultimately a triumph. The five songs all struck a chord, and the shows that followed over the next couple of years or so were also excellent. It would be five years before fans would get the chance to hear more music from Findlay - and that was in the form of The Illusion's Reckoning (which I reviewed here), the debut album of Mantra Vega. Mantra Vega was a short-lived collaboration between Findlay and American multi-instrumentalist Dave Kerzner, and The Illusion's Reckoning was not too dissimilar to the more organic, layered sound that Mostly Autumn specialise in. The band never toured, but Findlay's shows since the album's release have featured many of the songs from The Illusion's Reckoning - giving it the feel of a Findlay solo album in all but name. It certainly whetted the appetite for what was to come next in any case, but fans would need to wait a further three years for Findlay's next release of new material - but this time it would actually be her debut solo album! Wild White Horses, which landed last month, is a collaboration between Findlay and Luke Morley (Terraplane; Thunder; The Union). Morley, known for his hard rock songwriting, has produced the album, co-written many of the songs, and played the vast majority of the instruments. There are guests, namely Dave McCluskey (The Union; The Quireboys) who played the drums throughout - as well as a few others who will be name-checked later on, but the vast majority of what is heard during Wild White Horses has come from either Findlay or Morley. In keeping with the rest of Findlay's post-Mostly Autumn output, Wild White Horses is different from what came before. It is a rootsier album, with more of a singer-songwriter vibe than anything she has done previously. This has its pros and cons, but she certainly cannot be accused of repeating herself here.

The album opens up with lead single Here's to You, one of the strongest songs here and Findlay's tribute to her late Mostly Autumn bandmate Liam Davison who sadly passed away in 2017. The song recalls the sounds of bands like the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, with driving acoustic guitars, a punchy drum beat, and plenty of strong piano counter melodies. Findlay's vocal strength for me has always come from her warmth, and she really shines here. The lyrics are obviously very personal to her due to their subject matter, and this only helps to enhance this natural warmth. The country-esque tinge to the song really pushes her voice to the fore, although Morley occasionally throws in Eagles-esque twangy guitar leads - as well as a short solo towards the end. I am sure that the song will become a setlist staple in her future tours, and it opens up the album nicely. Just a Woman rocks a little harder, with a strong groove thanks to McCluskey's drumming and a strong Hammond organ presence which recalls the golden age of British rock. Singer Danny Bowes (Terraplane; Thunder) adds some vocals to the piece, meaning the song is sung as a duet between him and Findlay. Their voices work well together, and both are able to tap into the sultry nature of the piece, with the Hammond and a potent bassline creating a good amount of depth. Considering that Morley hands the vast majority of the instruments throughout the album, he very rarely shows off. This is one of the songs here that really showcases his talents a little more however, with a bluesy guitar solo that recalls his day job in Thunder and the aforementioned washes of organ. The song is one of my favourites on the album, and when paired with Here's to You it helps to create a strong opening to the album. The Island (which is not the same song as Island on The Illusion's Reckoning - I am not sure why Findlay chose to have two very similarly-titled songs in her canon) strips back much of the 'rock' that was featured in the opening two songs, leaving just Morley's piano and acoustic guitar chords to open up the piece. The first portion of the song sounds very sparse, lacking much of the grandeur that is often associated with Findlay's music, but as things move forward the song does build up - soon adding a simple drum pattern and a sombre bassline. It is not a very long song at all, and in my opinion never really gets going. It comes to an end just as you feel it is going to explode into something more, which is a bit of a shame. Face in the Sun has clear Indian influences, with a strong acoustic guitar presence and some Eastern-sounding percussion and soundscapes. There were a couple of songs on The Illusion's Reckoning that toyed with these influences, but this is the first song where Findlay has really gone all out to achieve that sound. It works really well in my opinion, and ends up sounding like something from Led Zeppelin III with the addition of a strong Eastern feel. The keyboards really help to emphasise that sound, and Findlay sings in long, drawn out notes to emulate the sort of singing that often comes from that part of the world.

Southern Shores returns to the sort of sound forged on the album's opening couple of tracks, with lots of big harmony vocals to open up the song and a a tougher rhythm guitar presence than elsewhere. This is certainly not a hard rock piece, but it has a big more bite than much of the album possesses - and helps to showcase Findlay's more powerful side vocally. The choruses are a perfect showcase for her talents, while Morley and Katy Burgess add their voices to the fray to help create a big, Fleetwood Mac-esque sound. There is a bit more of a chance for Morley to shine instrumentally too, with another fairly lengthy guitar solo here that is drenched in effects to give it a strange sound. This is not an album that really ploughs a true hard rock furrow, but this song is probably the closest things come to that sound - and it certainly recalls the sort of song that Findlay used to write during her time in Mostly Autumn. I Remember strips everything back again, and allows the acoustic instruments to shine. Acoustic guitars and mandolins form the basis of the song, and some folky additions in the form of Troy Donockley's (Iona; Nightwish) uilleann pipes add some additional melodies. It seems to be an unwritten rule that every album by Mostly Autumn or one of their alumni needs to feature Donockley in some capacity, but his playing does always add a lot to whatever song he is featured on. At first his contributions here sounded a bit tacked on, but repeated listens have convinced me of their merit. They do really add to the piece, and it might feel a bit empty if it was not for his grand, folky additions. The title track is up next, and it is built around a choppy guitar rhythm and a hollow drum beat that sounds like something from the soundtrack of a Western film. In fact I can see this song playing over the opening credits of such a film, with Findlay's vocals possessing the necessary smokey quality that fits that aesthetic - and a driving instrumental section that features both booming barroom piano and dense Hammond organ adds to the 'desert rock' feel. In my opinion, this is another of the album's really stand out pieces. The chorus is excellent, with some gorgeous harmony vocals from Sarah Dean to bulk things out, and the whole atmosphere of the piece really helps to conjure up powerful images and moods - something which Findlay has always excelled at in her songwriting. Winner is another largely acoustic rock piece, but with the addition of the legendary Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) on flute in places. The song has quite a jaunty feel, with McCluskey's drumming really helping to keep the piece moving - and Anderson's flute somewhat helps to solidify this feel vibe. I am less convinced by Anderson's guest appearance however - as at times it feels tacked on. Donockley's earlier contribution has grown on me after some initial reservations, but I feel that Anderson's parts feel a bit out of place. This is an album that is, on the whole, quite different from Findlay's work with Mostly Autumn, and it feels as if the inclusion of the flute here was to create some continuity. As a result it sticks out somewhat and feels a bit out of place, as the modern singer-songwriter feel of the rest of the album is about as far away from flute-based folk rock as you can get!

Already Free opens with some basic acoustic guitar chords, which is the perfect backing for Findlay's warm vocals. Like many of the songs here however, this is a tune that slowly builds up as it moves along. The vocals and guitar are soon joined by some simple drumming - as well as quite a bit of bluesy slide guitar from Morley. Slide guitar is not something that is used very often throughout the album, but it works well here and helps to add some real depth to the piece, and a little touch of the blues. In fact, the blues is referenced a fair bit here, with a lengthy guitar solo also sticking close to that formula. Staying with the blues, Cactus also makes use of that aesthetic while also recalling the Western themes of the album's title track. This song is not as tough as the title track however, with more of a whimsical feel, using big layers of acoustic guitar and subtle keyboards to create a deep, shimmering atmosphere for Findlay to sing over. She uses the more powerful end of her voice here, to great effect, which ensures the song still packs a punch despite its relatively gentle feel. This is another song that has grown on me a fair bit over multiple listens, and now I think it is one of the strongest tracks here. It creates a lot of atmosphere, and I always feel that Findlay is at her best when she is creating strong mental images and feelings from her songwriting. Firefly is a very simple song, which sees Findlay simply accompanied by the piano. Morley has handed the piano duties here over to Tim Oliver however, and Oliver's playing is certainly more involved and deep than much of the rest of the piano work featured throughout the album (no disrespect intended to Morley however, who is primarily a guitar player after all). His playing makes the song more interesting, but Findlay's warm vocals are still the focus. Forget the Rain is the album's final number, and is another song that has really grown on me over repeated listens. It is another song that I can imagine Findlay writing for Mostly Autumn, as it features a bigger overall sound with plenty of Hammond organ, big harmony vocals in the chorus, and more of an overall 'rock' feel. 'Grand' is not a word I use to describe many of the songs on this album, but this one certainly comes close to that feel. There is a lot going on here, with lots of layers of guitar and keyboard to help bulk things out, and a strong chorus that in my opinion is one of the best here. It is a song that showcases Findlay at her best, and is another song that I imagine will become a live favourite over the next few tours. Overall, Wild White Horses is an album that showcases where Findlay is as a songwriter currently, and contains a few really strong songs. It is an album that continues to grow on me, as I have to say that at first I was quite disappointed with much of it. There are still a few songs here that do not do all that much for me, but on the whole I think the album is a strong one and features some material that is up there with the best she has done since leaving Mostly Autumn.

The album was released on 5th July 2019 via Black Sand Records. Below is Findlay's promotional lyric video for Here's to You.