Summer

Cd Baby Editor's Pick 5 star review!

So, this is what happens when vultures and the desert wind of Southern Utah pick away at the bones of Pop music! "Summer" is no romp through green pastures or idyllic meadows. It’s a straight shot through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But DAMN, does that hot air feel good! Though thoroughly lo-fi, Summer has the immediate intimacy of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Lonely songs with catchy melodies are haunted by the presence of David Williams’ emotive, fragile voice. It’s both hurried and hushed, whispering warnings from somewhere out there in the bleak remoteness. Williams’ heartbreaking vocals are displayed most beautifully on the sad-bastard folk tune “Shame”. Architecturally, his songs are sturdy enough to hold up Brill Building ornamentation, yet he shows brave restraint. Instead of crowding the sonic space with horns, strings, and trickery, he opts to strip the structure bare, leaving only guitar and voice. Occasionally, fragmented drums and keyboards will sound in the distance, but the music always remains skeletal, ghostly, and sparse. The vastness of the desert has clearly taught Williams about the beauty of openness and contrast. And when a song is good enough, the human voice can sound as grand as an orchestra.

Chrisr at CD Baby

"an engaging splice between Dylan and Elliott Smith"

Salt Lake City Weekly

David Williams, Summer = Will Oldham+ Richmond Fontaine

Initially released as a limited-edition, hand painted cardboard-box CD package, Summer is now available for mass consumption, courtesy of local label/booking company, BearTalk. Minimal and intimate, this release captures the essence of Southern Utah—an area where Mr. Williams often resides. "Echo" is a soundscape for the desolate while "Duluth" is the meatiest, musically and content-wise. Summer is yet another great effort from the thriving, local singer/songwriter scene.

–Tom D’Plume SLUG MAGAZINE