‘One of America’s very best songwriters’ (The New Yorker) continues to deliver, with a high-quality and varied collection of songs.
When you think of really top class female singer-songwriters named Williams, the name that does not so often get mentioned is Dar; and yet, she has a very tasty backlog of very good albums, 13 in total dating back to 1990, with a varied mixture of styles, songs with a wide variety of topic (many of them more than just very good) and all sung by one of the sweetest voices around. In addition she has written well-received books, largely drawn from her experiences as a touring artist over many years. In truth she not had the greatest commercial success, but if success is measured by the affection in which she is held by her significant fan base, and the popularity of her live shows, she is certainly successful. She is also highly regarded by some of her peers (and mentors like Joan Baez, with whom she shared stages and recorded songs together).
So who is Dar Williams? Born and brought up in New York State she enjoyed a loving family upbringing, with parents who encouraged her songwriting and other ventures. In her early 20s she went to New York to work in theatre but soon decided on a career in music as she progressed her songwriting skills while performing in coffeehouses and bars on the folk circuit. After self-releasing a couple of albums her major debut was the well-received “The Honesty Room” (the album that caught the attention of Joan Baez). Our AUK colleague Brian D’Ambrosio recorded an interesting interview recently with Williams – link here.
Over time she has managed to retain the folk sensibilities of her earlier folk-rock music while adding a pop aesthetic, sometimes even rocking out a bit, or, in the case of the new album, delivering one of the best quasi-Latin jazz performances by a non-Latin jazz performer. With a collection of high quality albums to her name Williams’ consistency is remarkable and the latest album “Hummingbird Highway” displays all the same qualities that we have come to expect over the years, with subject matter that covers the environment, spiritualism, the human condition and social justice, as well as the staples such as familial relationships and all the aspects of love. As you would expect from a writer and a teacher of songwriting, her albums contain some wonderfully literate and articulate writing.
“Hummingbird Highway” is no different, and the variety contained within it makes for a beautifully balanced collection. Signed to Ani di Franco’s Righteous Babe Records, her debut on the label kicks off with the title track that stands at the heart of the album, a folk rock piece that is written from the perspective of a child welcoming home a wandering parent despite the potential instability in the parent’s wandering – using pirates and especially hummingbirds as metaphors for the going and returning, the track was inspired by Williams’ travels in Belize where she encountered a fork in the road where a middle path was called the Hummingbird Highway. “Every time you round the bend / I’ll jump into your arms again / You know my kind, I’m the hummingbird’s friend / I’ll help you find your way back home”
‘All is Come Undone’ is a more gentle number, with a more folksy vibe, before a track right out of left field, the scintillating and beautifully successful Latin-jazz swinger, ‘Tu Sais Le Printemps’, partially written in French, and incorporating some deliciously lighthearted and flirtily romantic lyrics “We’re here in the day, with café au lait / And caught in a sweet cascade / Of cherry blossoms / A cause du vent / Tu sais le printemps”And as the song sways like an Astrid Gilberto bossa nova, underpinned by Bryn Roberts sparkling piano, Todd Horton’s horn solo lifts the song to new heights. Inspired by a conversation with Beth Neilsen Chapman, it is a joy.
Then there is a rocking version of Richard Thompson’s “I wanna see the bright lights tonight”, with Rich Hinman’s scorching guitar. ‘Maryland Maryland’, derives from a conversation with Maryland’s US representative Jamie Raskin , searching for a state song. This an upbeat song and has Williams’ trademark catchy choruses. ‘Olive Tree’ is a great example of the depth of Williams’ imagination, reflecting on all the things and varied conversations that have led us to where we are today, using the symbolism of the olive tree – hope, peace and the eager desire for world harmony “I’ll meet you here under the olive trees” sings Williams possibly in hope rather than expectation. There are some wonderful keyboards from Roberts in this mid-paced closing track, omnichord by producer Ken Rich and mournful cello from Clara Kennedy which signs off the track. ‘Sacred Mountain‘ describes the dichotomy of the Buddhist, between his calm contemplation and his political activism, while Rani Arbo and her band Daisy Mayhem kick up a bit of a Celtic-inspired bluegrass storm on the union song ‘Put The Coins on his Eyes’.
Dar Williams is a big fan favourite and this album will do nothing to dissipate her fan base – she will hopefully attract even more. She certainly deserves to – it’s another notch on the belt of excellent records.
