Heather Findlay's 'Wildflower' - Album Review

It has now been 15 years since Heather Findlay left Mostly Autumn - following countless live shows and eight studio albums with the York-based progressive rock band. By this point, Mostly Autumn had established themselves as one of the stalwarts of the current UK progressive rock scene - and perhaps Findlay felt that she had done all she could within the confines of the band. Despite being one of the band's two lead vocalists and contributing significantly to the songwriting, Mostly Autumn has always been run by Bryan Josh - and perhaps being more in control of her own direction going forward was appealing. I think that it is fair to say that her solo career over the past 15 years has been pretty sporadic - but it has always been interesting, and I think that each new release, which has tended to differ from what came before, was worth the wait. She launched her solo career proper in 2011 with the EP The Phoenix Suite, a dry-sounding collection of alternative rock songs which sounded nothing like Mostly Autumn. Despite being produced by Mostly Autumn's Chris Johnson, although he was not in the band at the time, The Phoenix Suite featured Findlay's warm and delicate voice set against spikier and sparser overall arrangements - and I remember it receiving mixed reviews at the time. I quite liked it from the off, and it only grew on me more over time, but it would be eight years before we would get the chance to hear Findlay's next solo release made up of all original material - which was 2019's strong Wild White Horses (which I reviewed here). Another album which has grown on me quite considerably since my initial listens, Wild White Horses showcased a rootsier, singer-songwriter side of Findlay - with Thunder's Luke Morley masterminding the album from behind the scenes. The short tour to promote the album in 2020 was one of the few I got to that year before the pandemic - and it showed that Findlay was still a force to be reckoned with live. She had not been quiet in between the two releases, though, with a couple of albums of re-worked older material (one of which also contained some new songs) dropping, as well as the excellent The Illusion's Reckoning (which I reviewed here) - the only album from the seemingly short-lived Mantra Vega which saw her operating once again in Mostly Autumn-esque waters. More recently, too, 2022 saw the release of Sirens (which I reviewed here) - the second album of Findlay's and former bandmate Angela Gordon's folk duo Odin Dragonfly. She has been busier over the years than it has perhaps sometimes seemed, then, and a couple of months ago Findlay released her second solo album, and third solo release of all-new material overall, Wildflower. Given that her last release was a folky one, it is perhaps fitting that Wildflower treads a similar acoustic-based path. Whilst Odin Dragonfly are more overtly folk, though, with lots of flute and more of a piano base, Wildflower feels a bit more layered and involved - despite acoustic guitar playing being the core sound. It is a solo album in essentially the truest sense, too, with everything here apart from one guest appearance and the lyrics to one of the songs coming from Findlay herself.

This album is bigger sounding than I had expected it to be after reading Findlay's own description of it. Generally, singer-and-acoustic-guitar albums are not my thing - but I will always give Findlay's work a chance and I have always liked Odin Dragonfly despite its more stripped back nature. Whilst the songs here are essentially based around acoustic guitar patterns, there is more 'production' than I expected - with more involved vocal arrangements as well as the use of keyboards, woodwinds, and percussion throughout to add depth. The album is bookended by two brief answerphone messages which set a gentle and positive tone - before the first song proper You Light the Fire fades in. Gentle acoustic guitars and harmonised wordless vocals set the tone for what is to come - but Findlay soon starts to sing, Stevie Nicks-esque, the verse over the same strident chord sequence. Despite the simplicity of the guitar, the chords feel big and all-enveloping - with the chorus smouldering with subtle power thanks to the occasional percussion sitting in the background as well as layers of vocal harmonies. Some of the songs here feel a bit more involved than this one, but the upbeat and acoustic guitar drive is very typical of Findlay's songwriting - and I can see the piece working well in a full band arrangement similar in style to the songs found on Wild White Horses. The melodies sink in despite the simplicity and the track is a strong kick-off piece. The title track follows, and the song immediately feels more folky and playful - with a delicate guitar melody which later forms the basis of the song's chorus. Like the previous song, though, much of the track is based around big acoustic guitar chords - although this number is a bit more laid back and it does not feel as strident as You Light the Fire, which allows a folk vibe to shine through. This is emphasised by the chorus, which features the aforementioned guitar melody - that Findlay doubles with her lyrics and subtle harmonies. This refrain is very memorable and it is one of the album's hookiest moments - contrasting nicely with the bigger guitar chords and the increasing presence of harmonies found elsewhere. Now I See feels a bit darker following the two more upbeat pieces which came before. Arrangement-wise, too, the song is more involved. The acoustic guitar chords still form the basis of the track, although the strumming pattern is more paid back - with Findlay singing in a lower register and utilising subtle harmonies from the off to create a deeper sound. The song is also the first here which uses keyboards in a prominent way, with shimmering chords creating a cinematic soundscape during the chorus - which helps the song to have a sense of progression as it moves forward. Findlay has often written these darker ballads and the lower end of her vocal register is perfect for them.

Pure Love is a much more whimsical piece, and a pick-me-up following the slightly darker previous song. A folky acoustic guitar melody forms the basis of the track - whilst subtle percussion and playful vocal harmonies create a summery feel from the off. Whilst parts of the song features big guitar chords, with the chorus being more driving in that sense, the guitar playing throughout is generally busier - with delicate and fast-moving melodies helping to set the song apart from everything else on the album up to this point. The simple chorus is an exercise in strong vocal harmonies, too, and they really give the song a lot of life. The song does get a bit repetitive as it moves along, though, so perhaps it could have benefitted from being shortened somewhat - particularly given the sparse nature of the album. Blackbird is another slightly darker piece, with slow-burning acoustic guitar chords, which remind me of the Eagles somewhat, and Findlay once again singing in a slightly deeper manner. Subtle percussion gives the piece a bit of a swinging feel, which is different, and the more full-bodied vocal delivery has more of a soulful feel than is typical of the rest of the album. There is a surprising amount of variety on this album despite the generally simple arrangements of the songs - and this track is a good example of that. Just a little shift in rhythmic approach can make a big difference  - and it is great hearing Findlay sing in a somewhat more soulful manner to shake things up. Ever True maintains a similar darkness, with the song being a slow-moving number which introduces a few different sounds. An acoustic guitar melody drives the song, over which Findlay sings in a mixture of manners - ranging from floaty, higher-pitched moments to deeper and more powerful sections. The vocal diversity here is great given, again, the relative simplicity of the arrangement - and there is also a strong folk feel here thanks to some woodwind melodies being utilised throughout. I am not sure exactly what instrument is being played, but the simple and warm woodwind lines really help to set the song apart from the others - and it reminds me quite a bit of the last Odin Dragonfly album as a result of its strong folk feel. Still Burning features the talents of Troy Donockley (Iona; Nightwish; Auri), a regular collaborator of Findlay's - but instead of adding his usual pipe-work to the track he lends his voice (and mandola). The latest Nightwish album showcased that Donockley can easily handle folky songs from a vocal perspective - and his voice mixes well with Findlay's here, the two duetting throughout over a simple acoustic guitar and mandola backing. The two do trade vocal lines, but much of the song is sung by the two together - and their two voices harmonise together really well. There is little else going on musically besides the guitar and mandola - but the vocal interplay is what gives the song its USP, so something more complex is not needed.

May It Be sees Findlay moving over to the piano - something which she is not especially known for. She did play some of the piano parts of Mostly Autumn's 2008 release Glass Shadows, but she is generally more associated with the guitar. Despite this, though, the warm piano melodies here chime out of the speakers in a pleasing manner - over which she sings in a similarly warm and full-bodied style. Of all the songs here, this is probably the closest the album comes to sounding like Mostly Autumn. I could imagine this sitting nicely on one of the later Mostly Autumn albums that Findlay was a part of - and it feels like a companion to pieces like Broken and Above the Blue - which Findlay wrote and sang in the past. Subtle woodwind additions and warm vocal harmonies only increase this overall feeling. It is one of my favourite songs here as a result, and the use of piano throughout helps to set the song apart. There is no guitar here at all, and it is great seeing Findlay showcase her piano playing - which is something I would like to hear more of. Appleseed returns more to the album's core sound, with fairly jaunty acoustic guitar chords forming the basis of what is another folky song - with hooky vocal rhythms and more of a percussive base. Percussion is used throughout the album, but it tends to be more subtly utilised to emphasis parts of songs or to boost certain sections - but this time it is used throughout to give the track more of a stomp. The song is not exactly a high-energy folk rocker, but instead there is a country twang which the stomp adds to - and the rhythm of the vocal melodies only adds to this overall feel. Arms of Oak is another pretty folky piece, which opens with woodwind melodies, acoustic guitar chords, and some subtle organ. The track is another with a more complex arrangement than is typical for the album, then, with the multitude of instruments helping to create a dense sound. Findlay uses her wordless vocal harmonies like an additional instrument during parts of the song, whilst the organ adds an organic depth when it is heard between each vocal line and guitar chord. Later on, too, the woodwinds from earlier return and add another layer - again reminding me a little of the last Odin Dragonfly album. The song is a strong folk effort, then, and another standout thanks to the bigger arrangement. The album then comes to a close with Love All - which is essentially an a cappella piece, although there are the sounds of birds in the background at times. The song really showcases how great a singer Findlay is, as there is nowhere to hide, but given the lack of any instrumentation I feel like it does outstay its welcome a little. A shorter a cappella piece could have been a very powerful closing statement, and a couple of times it feels like it is about to end, before then carrying on. I personally would have shortened the piece, then, but hearing Findlay's voice alone to close out the album, before the bookend answerphone message kicks in, is still powerful. Overall, then, I have enjoyed Wildflower a lot more than I expected to and have found a lot of variety on what seems on the surface to be a simple album. It showcases a few different sides of her songwriting as well as showcasing her instrumental talents - given that she is generally known as a singer. It is the latest chapter of a varied solo career which keeps on giving - and I hope there is more to come in the future.

The album was released on 28th March 2025 via Black Sand Records. Below is Findlay's promotional video for Wildflower.