Tim Williams: Novel

Tim Williams

With the way the whole indie singer/songwriter niche has become so grossly oversaturated in past couple years, it's no surprise that I'm typically turned off by them. I'll be honest, I blatantly ignore most singer/songwriters that come my way on principle alone, this personal principle that states that I am rarely excited about a one man show. That's just the way I am and that's why if you check back, you won't find to many in these here archives.

However, Tim Williams is one of the few exceptions to my principle as of late. His Merchant Heart EP won me over on the first listen through. Tthough I'd like to say otherwise,the five songs (two of which are demos) here are really nothing too new, we've heard this sort of thing before. The thing that ultimately puts them well above the rest is that Tim doesn't sound like an asshole, I actually enjoy listening to what he's singing. Too many of these types try to emote themselves all over me and it's just like, "I'm sorry but I don't believe a word you're saying." Unfortunately, the opening track "Novel" is the highpoint of the EP and though the rest is enjoyable, it never manages to really climb back up to that height for the remainder.

[MP3]: Tim Williams :: Novel (Recommended!)
I'm a big fan of bells and when they're used right they can be magical. Obviously they're used well here, or I wouldn't have mentiond them. The bells in the background of the otherwise bouncy acoustic chorus create a nice contrast and make for a great drive into work in the morning. It all comes together at the end with Tim repeating "I wrote all these lines for you" as the guitar, bells, and handclaps all come together, it's pretty beautiful. Plus, he's got a pretty sweet beard.

Preorder the Merchant Heart EP from Dovecote Records.

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