Tamara Williamson has always been very good at atmosphere. One of her first tracks was an eerily claustrophobic song called “Houses.” Part of a collection of self-recorded tracks not originally intended for release, “Houses” would eventually be released in 1998 on Nightmare On Queen Street, after Williamson handed the tracks over to a couple of producer friends to see what they could do.

From those humble solo beginnings (Williamson had previously led Toronto band Mrs. Torrance, who would put out one album before dissolving) Williamson improved on her haunting voice and majestic songcraft. Where the following year’s Unconscious Pilot was a brighter, well-rounded album, 2001’s The Arms Of Ed was a brilliantly melancholy album. The addition of Karen Graves’ violin to a number of tracks, including album ender “Paradise Homes,” raised the ante in the mood sweepstakes without turning the tracks into overwrought messes. The haunting presence of “Houses” was still evident on the album, though its eight-track claustrophobia was opened up thanks to the new arrangements. “Paradise Homes” is the most epic of the tracks on The Arms Of Ed, all soaring violins and searing vocals. The final track paints a vivid picture, full of stormy skies and fading sunlight—all the tension and drama Mother Nature herself could conjure.