Kathryn Williams: Songs from the Novel ‘Greatest Hits’ – fruitful collaboration with author Laura Barnett

Fresh from the success of her 2015 Sylvia Plath album, Hypoxia, Kathryn Williams has embarked on another highly fruitful collaboration, this time with author Laura Barnett (The Version of Us).

Barnett invited Williams to pen songs to accompany her new book, Greatest Hits, the story of a fictional music artist, Cass Williams. Williams (Kathryn, that is) takes up the cudgel with gusto, running the gamut of emotions and musical styles, from pastoral playfulness to jagged-edged brittleness.

From the tender expositions of her 2000 album Little Black Numbers, Williams has always been at her best when she's applying a scalpel to the most minute of human emotional experiences.

She's abetted by siblings Romeo and Michele Stodart on production, instrumentation and backing vocals. This is deep-dive, after-dark music, sculpted into shapes that morph into something more with each return visit. kathrynwilliams.co.uk