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 KATHRYN WILLIAMS Little Black Numbers (2000)  Rating (Out of 10): 9 Tracklisting: We Dug A Hole/Soul to Feet Stood/Jasmine Hoop/Fell Down Fast/flicker/Intermission/Tell Me The Truth As If It Were Lies/Morning Song/Toocan/Each Star We See/We Came Down From The Trees The music of Kathryn Williams is beautiful, sublime and poetic. She creates a very unique folk oriented sound that is atmospheric, gentle, thought provoking, and incredibly emotional. Hailing originally from Liverpool, then moving to Newcastle to study for an art degree, Williams released her first album, ‘Dog leap Stairs’ in 1999 on her own record label Caw, but when album number two, ‘Little Black Numbers’ was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize the demand for her music forced her to sign with East West Records. However, her music remains that of someone independently signed to their own label. She is very much an outsider, very much doing her own thing, continuing to push back boundaries and challenge the limits of her creativity. ‘Little Black Numbers’ is an album full of low-fi, understated songs which fuse together acoustic guitar, string accompaniments and Williams unassuming vocals to create something very unique and very beautiful. The opening track ‘We Dug A Hole’ is possible one of the most beautiful, most emotionally evocative pieces of music I have ever heard. With barely audible vocals, and ending with beautifully repetitive harmonies, this is a truly wondrous song. There are so many wonderful, beautiful songs on this album it is impossible to pick out my favourites without just rewriting the track listing ‘We Dug A Hole’, ‘Soul To Feet’, ‘Fell Down Fast’, ‘Flicker’…they are all just wonderful, and so very perfect. The latter of these tracks, the uncompromising ‘Flicker’, is intensely beautiful and possess the ability to reduce me to tears. Her songs explore the human psyche, investigate ordinary people and ordinary lives. They are songs that are poetic, sad and very beautiful. There is something very delicate about the music of Kathryn Williams, be care not to handle it too roughly or you might break it. ‘Little Black Numbers’ is an incredible album. One of the most incredible things about it is that it had to be released by Williams herself on her own label. And what is even more incredible about it is that 6 years on, Katherine Williams is about to release her 6th album, again on her own label, and without much publicity or media excitement surrounding it. Kathryn Williams is one of the most innovative and talented female singer songwriters around today. No, strike the female bit; she is one of the most talented singer song writers around regardless of gender. Maybe someday, people will sit up and take notice and realize exactly what they are missing, and put on one of her cd’s and let a little beauty into their lives. Send A Comment
Old Low Light (2002) 8 
Rating (Out of 10): 9 Tracklisting: Little Black Numbers /White Red And Blue/Mirrorball/Devices/Daydream And Saunter/Beatles/Wolf /Tradition/Swimmer/On For You/No One Takes You Home/3am Phonecall Kathryn Williams third album in three years, ‘Old Low Light’ is a very sophisticated highly crafted piece of work that firmly cements Williams position as a highly prolific and highly creative singer songwriter. It follows on very much in the same vein as her previous album ‘Little Black Numbers’ with Williams own brand of delicate acoustic folk songs drenched in beautiful strings and brass creating something that is poetic, unique and very beautiful. The songs on ‘Old Low Light’ are quiet masterpieces, which is what Williams does best. She has a knack of tapping into the ordinary, celebrating the beauty of the mundane through little snapshots of everyday lives and ordinary people. There is a certain futility pervading the world that Kathryn Williams sings about, a quiet desperation. The people in her songs inhabit places where loneliness, anger and failure are everyday occurrences, but still life goes on. The album begins on a very confusing note. The first song has the same name as the previous album – ‘Little black Numbers.’ Perhaps it is Williams’ way of creatively joining the two albums together giving a sense of cohesion to her work, or maybe the song was just a leftover from the previous album. I prefer to think that it is the former, but whatever the reason, the track in question provides a perfect beginning to the album. It possesses all the qualities that sum up the rest of the tracks. It is delicate, poetic and beautiful. ‘Mirrorball’ is another fragile sounding song with very poetic, poignant lyrics. ‘Devices’ provides the album with a more upbeat quality and has a beautiful brass accompaniment. ‘Tradition’ is a startling track with a very minimalist accompaniment that puts the focus on Williams’ vocals. Towards the end of the track a cello plays as Williams hums along and the effect is incredible. Katherine Williams is someone who really knows how music works and how to work it, how to use her voice, a melody and a range of instrumentation to say exactly wants she wants to say. ‘Old Low Light’ is a delectable album which works to strengthen Kathryn Williams position as an someone with an incredible talent for writing songs, evoking emotions, and painting a picture of life in all its bleak beauty. Send A Comment BACK TO INDEX BACK TO MUSIC REVIEWS INDEX |