"Quite an odd character, this guy hailing from Lawrence, Kansas! We stated this before, when his previous album Built With Bones was released, and now with his new album, Defiant, we can only repeat this.
The new album has a lot to offer again. On Defiant, Williams continues his unique approach to music. On the new record, he plays an old Martin-guitar and a six-string banjo, but also the bass, tambourine, lap steel and some percussion instruments (the 'coffee can drum' is definitely the most exciting one here). Cale Thibaudeau and Andrew Hansen did their share on four songs on banjo, harmonica and snare drum. The result is a record full of Americana, on which Williams balances between the acoustic 16 Horsepower, the newer Johnny Cash material and some Nick Cave too. 'A collection of toe-tapping lamentations and epitaphs,' is what he calls it and it could not have been described better.
In a big part of the stories on Defiant, Death plays a significant role. His lyrics, by the way, are a part of the reason that Williams is on a higher level than the rest. He's a true story-teller. In the beautiful 'Henry May,' for example, a real 'pain in the ass' gets killed by his wife, who got more than sick of his behavior. After that, St Peter sends him straight to hell, where the devil himself sends him back to earth in the shape of a big cockroach. 'Summer Breeze' is also a song with a great story line. In this song, Williams tells about a certain guy named Charlie. Charlie loses the love of his life, his 'summer breeze.' Tormented by what happened, the man distances himself from all life around him, when eventually a tornado decides to reunite him in death with his 'summer breeze.' There are more goodbyes in the song 'Upstairs,' where we follow the last moments of the life of the narrator's wife. This album sends shivers down your spine, that's for sure!"
3-1/2 out of 5
- Benny Metten
Ctrl. Alt. Country (Belgium)
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