Canadian singer, songwriter, and Grammy Award winner Allison Russell returns with her third solo album, In the Hour of Chaos. Naturally building on the success of her acclaimed records Outside Child and The Returner, the new release offers eleven tracks where folk, soul, gospel, and deeply rooted American traditions meet with a clear message: solidarity and the art of healing are our greatest strengths.
HMusic as a Collective Response to Darkness
The album’s title might evoke unrest and despair, but the opposite is true. Instead of surrendering to the chaos of the modern world, Allison Russell focuses on finding light even in the most challenging times. The new album was created in close collaboration with the production tandem dim star and a wide circle of kindred musicians who bring an organic, almost ritualistic atmosphere to each track.
The guest list features illustrious names such as Norah Jones, Brittney Spencer, Joy Oladokun, Ruby Amanfu, and Sara Watkins. However, this is no mere marketing calculation. For Allison, friendship and community are the foundational pillars of her work.
“I don’t do anything alone. This album is a celebration of people helping each other find light in the darkest moments. We are interconnected, and our strength lies in how we hold onto each other when the world shakes around us.”
The album opens with the uplifting track Rainbows, followed by more melancholic yet internally powerful songs like No Springtime, Cold April, or the captivating Black Lavender. Each track explores a different emotion, but they are all bound by the unshakeable belief that after every winter, no matter how harsh, spring eventually arrives.
From Personal Confession to a Collective Voice
While her previous records served as a way for Allison Russell to process her own traumatic childhood experiences, on In the Hour of Chaos, she pushes the boundaries of her artistry even further. She is no longer just writing a personal diary; she is creating a safe space for the collective voice of her entire musical family.
The result is a genre-diverse and layered collection where the boundaries between traditional songwriting, soul, and gospel blur beautifully. The greatest asset of the album is the absolute naturalness of all the guest artists. Their presence does not feel like a marketing gimmick, but rather an organic weaving of voices telling a single shared story.
“I believe, more and more, that music is the purest form of empathy. It can connect people and tear down walls in a way that nothing else in the world can. When we sing together, the fear disappears,” the singer adds regarding the collaborative spirit of the new release.
The closing compositions, Two Stars and Good Omens, bring the record to a close in deep peace and subtle optimism. It is precisely the kind of ending that resonates within the listener long after the final note fades away.
In the Hour of Chaos definitively confirms that Allison Russell belongs among the most distinct and vital voices in contemporary American roots music. Instead of cheap platitudes and simple answers, she offers listeners genuine emotions, powerful melodies, and a warm sense of human connection. It is an album you will return to whenever you need to be reminded that you are not alone in this chaos. We are therefore thrilled that it will dominate our airwaves as our Album of the Week.
NMR (photo: press Allison Russell)
