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“Dan on the phone” -Ed’s vine
Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re tryin' to be so quiet? We sit here stranded, though we’re all doin’ our best to deny it.
Bob Dylan
Album Review: "A Place in the Sun" by Rob Williams
Photo Credit: www.robwilliamsacoustic.com
As the lead singer and guitarist of the former alt-rock band Joe Buck, Jr., Rob Williams made a name for himself around the Richmond area by writing smart, catchy pop songs with a slight indie-rock tilt. Williams' solo debut, A Place in the Sun, retains the pop sensibility that made Joe Buck, Jr. albums serious diamonds in the rough (...used to be somebody, in particular), but where his former band embraced a certain garage band aesthetic, A Place in the Sun takes a turn down an old country lane, into the twangy, dust-filled territory of Americana. Or Alt-Country. Whichever you'd like to call it. I'm going to stick with Americana.
Williams' earnest, down-but-not-out voice has always been one of his more endearing characteristics, and on A Place in the Sun he uses it to dispense little nuggets of wisdom that, to an extent, would hardly seem out of place in a work of classic literature: "When you hear a siren's song, beware nothing there lasts too long," and "I could not begin to notice that surrounding me was the fortune that I longed to see, right here all this time," are the two that instantly come to mind.
Beyond the idiosyncrasies of his voice and his undeniable talent as a lyricist, Williams' is also, simply put, an incredibly gifted songwriter. The former high school history teacher has always had a penchant for penning infectious choruses, and that unique skill crops up on almost every track on A Place in the Sun. Right off the bat, the listener is hit with the up-tempo rocker "Whiskey in the Morning," and while it's an outstanding ditty that calls to mind "No Depression" era Uncle Tupelo - in terms of subject matter (alcohol) and chord progression - it's interesting to note that it almost didn't make it to the recording studio. "I couldn't decide whether it was too stupid to record or not," says Williams on his website. "but I ultimately decided to put my faith in the old saying that risks yield rewards."
Williams' faith in the song paid off, indeed, as it is one of the most instantly memorable songs on the entire record. After "Whiskey in the Morning," the album downshifts to a slower, more sustainable pace, but by no means at the expense of song quality. "When You're Better" features the first duet ever recorded by Williams, and captures the difficulties of trying to maintain a relationship with an individual who is deep in the throes of substance addiction. The refrain, "I'll be your sad song," is effective and memorable, and is made all the more poignant by Williams and Sarah Brawley's interweaving vocal work.
The album's closer, "Selvaggia Borromeo," is a short (the second shortest song on the album, to be exact), beautiful, acoustic-driven number that not only gives the listener one hell of a send-off, but also features one of the most memorable choruses ever written by Williams. And when your discography contains such ear worm classics as "Asbury Park," "Victoria Ray," and "Someday I Will Treat You Good," that is certainly no small compliment.
All things considered, A Place in the Sun is a successful record that captures all the things that Williams did well as a member of Joe Buck, Jr. and re-imagines them within the context of Americana. Any fans of Uncle Tupelo, Dawes, or Wilco's early material will find plenty to admire in A Place in the Sun. The songs, all of which were written by Williams, are catchy enough to draw you in at first listen, and lyrically deep and musically intricate enough to warrant repeated spins - or should I say "clicks," since a small minority of people actually listen to music on things that spin, nowadays.
On his website, Williams questions the importance of track order on contemporary records, because, he notes, few folks seem to listen to albums from beginning to end in this Digital Age of ours. Well, if you've got the time to listen to A Place in the Sun all the way through, and the uniquely post-Y2K thirst for instant gratification hasn't completely sucked your attention span down the drain, I recommend you give it a shot. It's more than well worth your time.
Also: if you're interested in finding out the deeper meanings behind each of the songs, head on over to Williams' website, www.robwilliamsacoustic.com. There you will find brief anecdotes that explain the inspiration behind each of the 11 tracks.
Album of the Week: "Goat" - The Jesus Lizard
Playlist for March 17 - 23
1. "Possum Kingdom" by the Toadies on Rubberneck 2. "Fool on the Hill" by the Beatles on Magical Mystery Tour 3. "Animal Nitrate" by Suede on Dog Man Star 4. "You Show No Emotion At All" by Hood on Cold Houses 5. "One Love" by NaS on Illmatic 6. "We Are Real" by Silver Jews on American Water 7. "Monkey Trick" by the Jesus Lizard on Goat 8. "In A State" by Unkle on Never, Never, Land 9. "By Some Miracle" by Phil Selway on Familial 10. "Same Mistake" by James Blunt on All The Lost Souls
Album of the Week: "Mezzanine" - Massive Attack
“Never turn your back on Fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed.” - HST
Playlist for March 10 - 16
1. "Old Man" by Neil Young on Harvest 2. "Ramblin Rose" by MC5 3. "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed on Transformer 4. "Platypus (I Hate You)" by Green Day on nimrod. 5. "Itchin on a Photograph" by Grouplove on Never Trust A Happy Song 6. "And Before Your Very Eyes" by Atoms For Peace on Amok 7. "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire on Funeral 8. "Cumulus" by Pram on Iron Lung 9. "Watershed" by Mark Hollis on Mark Hollis 10. "Something in the Way" by Nirvana on Nevermind
Album Notes: "The Colour of Spring" by Talk Talk
Label: EMI Release Year: 1986 Rating: A
Review: Driven by danceable African rhythms, Talk Talk's third studio album, The Colour of Spring, flows seamlessly from its infectious opening track ("Happiness is Easy," which utilizes a choir of school children on backing vocals during the chorus to incredible effect) through the epic eight-minute finale ("Time It's Time"), and the entirety of the experience feels so effortless and natural that you'll swear the music is somehow originating from within you instead of from some external point. The first thing that will likely strike you about Colour is its pristine production quality. Drums pop with the vitality of youthful ciacadas, guitars screech with enough volume to make you believe that they were set up right there in the room with you, Mark Hollis' weary-yet-indomitable voice shimmers with all the luster of a chipped, dusty diamond. In short, the entire album glistens and gleams right before your very ears.
Right, but what about the songs? Colour is Talk Talk's last release to feature traditional song structures, as their final two albums - Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock - wade into the murky depths of ambient experimentalism, inadvertently creating a template for the post-rock sound that many contemporary bands (most notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Ros) would come to emulate, or, at the very least, resemble. So, in a sense, Colour is an album that represents the death of the radio-friendly incarnation of Talk Talk.
But, boy, it erects one hell of a memorable headstone.
Many of the tracks consist of Hollis mumbling (and I mean that in the best way possible) his way through the verses, which then ultimately give way to brilliant, well-defined choruses that shine forth like a blazing sun through parting clouds. And because the choruses are sung with such clear articulation, they remain pleasantly deposited in the brain like little capsules of catchiness. This is a welcomed psychological side effect, because many of the choruses - namely "happiness is easy," "Life's what you make it," and "Got to give it up, got to get a second chance" - are phrases that you don't mind having stuck in your noggin. After all, isn't evoking a sense of hope one of the most admirable things that music can aspire to?
But yes, the songs. Here's a quick rundown:
"Happiness is Easy," despite its upbeat tempo and seemingly uplifting refrain, has a fairly dark core, and seems to be Hollis' atheist critique of the hypocrisy of religion. "Sublime the blind parade," he sings. "It wrecks me how they justify their acts of war."
"Living in Another World" features an absolutely killer harmonica solo that somehow fits perfectly within the tapestry of the song, despite being the last possible instrument you'd expect to appear on a Talk Talk record. Oh, and the chorus is equally killer.
"Chameleon Day" is a three minute and twenty second glimpse into Talk Talk's future, as it spotlights the post-rock sound that they would come to embrace on their final two studio albums.
The strongest track of them all, though, is the closer, "Time It's Time," which features a verse/pre-pre-chorus/pre-chorus/chorus structure the likes of which I can honestly say I've never heard before. The chorus, which features Hollis proclaiming "Now that it's over" amidst a swirl of soaring backing vocals and other various instruments is absolutely stunning, not to mention the most memorable moment from an album that steers as far away as possible from the banal and predictable.
Another thing that strikes me as unique about Colour is that although it is easily identifiable as an '80s record, it has aged much more gracefully than some of its contemporaries. Colour retains a certain humanesness that keeps it from becoming a mere novelty of a bygone era. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Hollis seems like just an average joe when Compared to mythical '80s frontmen such as Bono, David Lee Roth, and men of a similar hyperbolic ilk. Hollis voice is defined by a certain humbleness that is noticeably absent in the former's soaring, self-important falsetto and the latter's panty-melting, animalistic shrieking. Even during Colour's more uplifting moments, Hollis seems to be singing from a place of anguish. And is there anything more relatable, more timeless than human suffering?
All things considered, Colour of Spring sounds just as fresh and authentic in 2013 as it did when it hit shelves over twenty years ago.
Oh, and Talk Talk is still one of the most underrated bands not only of the '80s, but of all-time.
Playlist for March 3 - 9
1. "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin on Houses of the Holy 2. "Summertime Clothes" by Animal Collective on Merriweather Post Pavilion 3. "I'm The Man Who Loves You" by Wilco on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 4. "Man of Constant Sorrow" by Bob Dylan 5. "Life's What You Make It" by Talk Talk on Colour of Spring 6. "People of the Sun" by Rage Against the Machine on Evil Empire 7. "Blown a Wish" by My Bloody Valentine on Loveless 8. "Nothing Ever Happens" by Pavement on Slanted and Enchanted: Lux and Relux 9. "Cafeteria Food" by Pissed Jeans on Honeys 10. "Self Explanatory" by Doseone on Hemispheres
Album of the Week: "Big Calm" by Morcheeba
"Holiday in the Sun" by the Sex Pistols.
Real punk right here.
Vinyl record close-up
An artist with Alzheimer’s drawing self-portraits.
Terrible, frightening disease.