The Silence In Between
发行时间:2000-01-01
发行公司:CD Baby
简介: Christopher Williams’ third solo album The Silence In Between provides a prime example of why this former preschool teacher should continue making music for a living. The disc’s 10 tracks cover a range of emotions, from devotion to a child (“Daughter’s Eyes”), to loneliness (“Every Time I Say Goodbye”), to regret (“Ever After”). Williams’ introspective lyrics provide a door through which the listener can walk with him. Both musically and lyrically, The Silence in Between is a strong album, full and rich with detail. Williams achieved distinctive effects by bringing Hammond organ, viola, and mandolin into the mix. Contributions from fellow singer/songwriters David Wilcox, Ellis Paul, and Willy Porter add depth and texture to Williams’ already fine album. Williams’ vocals, dramatic in their subtlety, have a breathy quality which make his lyrics, and his characters, all the more believable. - Dirty Linen Magazine
Anthems of self-discovery are, in large part, a singer/songwriter’s stock-in-trade. After looking inward and putting words to paper, matching it to a melody, then (usually) wringing musical notes out of a guitar, the time arrives to show people what you’ve learned. It helps to have a well-honed set of skills to get the message across and it’s hard to imagine anyone more well-prepared than Christopher Williams. With a sweet, burr-edged singing voice and a seemingly innate melodic sense, his songs already have a leg up on listenability. In addition, he’s contributed as a percussionist with Ellis Paul, and The Folk Monty/The Bixbys (here as a full member/singer/songwriter), so his upbeat songs percolate with an effervescent energy.
And, oh yes, the writing. On track two, “Each Other’s Blessing,” one of the better lines in a declaration of romantic love I’ve heard recently occurs up front. “I am the bread, you are the wine / We were meant to be broken...” The lines that follow “to share our lives like fruit from the vine / with these words that we’ve spoken,” seem a bit more commonplace, but the entire effort really flies on the strength of a soaring melody. Track three, “Breathe” is reminiscent, especially in the chorus, of some of James Taylor’s better work, but I find it more satisfying than anything I’ve heard from James lately. As a statement of aloneness and the self-questioning it provokes, the song is sheer perfection. It begins, “Wrapped in the loneliness of pretending to be strong / words comfort as much as a winter’s day is long...”
Christopher sees that everything he thought he knew has “suddenly fallen out of view.” The slow, deliberate meter of the verse leads us up to the words: “I heard a voice say,” right into the steady heartbeat of a riveting chorus: “Walk to the water rest on the shore / let me love spill into yours / walk on the water fall on your knees / quench your restless soul by the water...and breathe.” This song boasts contributions from Willy Porter on acoustic guitar and from David Wilcox on background vocals. On other tracks contributing “name” musicians include: Ellis Paul (“Empty My Hands”) and David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos -- “Every Time I Say Goodbye”) while Jerry Marotta plays drums and Michael Manring plays fretless bass throughout.
One of the more ambitious statements in the arena of romance occurs in the song, “Ever After.” In a response to an old flame who is getting married to another, and has asked him to attend her wedding, Chris wonders: “Am I wrong to love you / Am I wrong to think you felt the same / Am I wrong to think you are the one / Not just the one who would get away.” In a recent appearance in Manhattan, Chris stated that this coming August, he would attend the wedding spoken of in the song! Has she heard the song?...Will he sing it there? Stay tuned!
This CD is a finely crafted piece of work. David Miner, the producer, also contributed electric and upright bass himself and added viola, cello and mandolin by others to marvelous effect throughout the album. - Acoustic LIVE Magazine
Christopher Williams’ third solo album The Silence In Between provides a prime example of why this former preschool teacher should continue making music for a living. The disc’s 10 tracks cover a range of emotions, from devotion to a child (“Daughter’s Eyes”), to loneliness (“Every Time I Say Goodbye”), to regret (“Ever After”). Williams’ introspective lyrics provide a door through which the listener can walk with him. Both musically and lyrically, The Silence in Between is a strong album, full and rich with detail. Williams achieved distinctive effects by bringing Hammond organ, viola, and mandolin into the mix. Contributions from fellow singer/songwriters David Wilcox, Ellis Paul, and Willy Porter add depth and texture to Williams’ already fine album. Williams’ vocals, dramatic in their subtlety, have a breathy quality which make his lyrics, and his characters, all the more believable. - Dirty Linen Magazine
Anthems of self-discovery are, in large part, a singer/songwriter’s stock-in-trade. After looking inward and putting words to paper, matching it to a melody, then (usually) wringing musical notes out of a guitar, the time arrives to show people what you’ve learned. It helps to have a well-honed set of skills to get the message across and it’s hard to imagine anyone more well-prepared than Christopher Williams. With a sweet, burr-edged singing voice and a seemingly innate melodic sense, his songs already have a leg up on listenability. In addition, he’s contributed as a percussionist with Ellis Paul, and The Folk Monty/The Bixbys (here as a full member/singer/songwriter), so his upbeat songs percolate with an effervescent energy.
And, oh yes, the writing. On track two, “Each Other’s Blessing,” one of the better lines in a declaration of romantic love I’ve heard recently occurs up front. “I am the bread, you are the wine / We were meant to be broken...” The lines that follow “to share our lives like fruit from the vine / with these words that we’ve spoken,” seem a bit more commonplace, but the entire effort really flies on the strength of a soaring melody. Track three, “Breathe” is reminiscent, especially in the chorus, of some of James Taylor’s better work, but I find it more satisfying than anything I’ve heard from James lately. As a statement of aloneness and the self-questioning it provokes, the song is sheer perfection. It begins, “Wrapped in the loneliness of pretending to be strong / words comfort as much as a winter’s day is long...”
Christopher sees that everything he thought he knew has “suddenly fallen out of view.” The slow, deliberate meter of the verse leads us up to the words: “I heard a voice say,” right into the steady heartbeat of a riveting chorus: “Walk to the water rest on the shore / let me love spill into yours / walk on the water fall on your knees / quench your restless soul by the water...and breathe.” This song boasts contributions from Willy Porter on acoustic guitar and from David Wilcox on background vocals. On other tracks contributing “name” musicians include: Ellis Paul (“Empty My Hands”) and David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos -- “Every Time I Say Goodbye”) while Jerry Marotta plays drums and Michael Manring plays fretless bass throughout.
One of the more ambitious statements in the arena of romance occurs in the song, “Ever After.” In a response to an old flame who is getting married to another, and has asked him to attend her wedding, Chris wonders: “Am I wrong to love you / Am I wrong to think you felt the same / Am I wrong to think you are the one / Not just the one who would get away.” In a recent appearance in Manhattan, Chris stated that this coming August, he would attend the wedding spoken of in the song! Has she heard the song?...Will he sing it there? Stay tuned!
This CD is a finely crafted piece of work. David Miner, the producer, also contributed electric and upright bass himself and added viola, cello and mandolin by others to marvelous effect throughout the album. - Acoustic LIVE Magazine