Cool Album Out This Week - William Tyler "Goes West"
Continuing the rapid genre shifting of my recent review posts, this week's feature is William Tyler, who's solo work came onto my radar in 2016 with the instrumental folk album Modern Country. Following a similar vein in 2019, Tyler literally relies on "The West" for his inspiration - even without lyrics, he is able to convey a distinct mood shift between the Americana/Nashville-rooted leanings on Modern Country and the sunny LA-inspired Goes West. Here's my take - - - - - - - - - - -
Though not the most recognizable name, William Tyler is now over 20 years into a successful music career. He appeared on five albums of Lambchop, a diverselyNashville country/soul, as well as toured/recorded with the Silver Jews and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. He has recently produced for newcomer Jake Xerxes Fussell and wrote one song for Mary J. Blige. And now, he has four reflective and solo albums in nine years. Each release is of consistent quality and each with their own unique facets. The first, the almost entirely acoustic Behold the Spirit, was released on indie label Tompkins Square before Tyler was picked up by Merge. At long last, Goes West marks the first collaborative effort, and the results feel both playful and refined in new ways.
The summery tone comes from the multi-layered textures employed by Tyler - while he plays acoustic guitar, the other band gracefully supports his lead and follows his vision to a T. For an instrumental album, the record is unusually cohesive, sounding exceptionally distinctive with the passage of each track. Of course, it does all tend to blur without a lyrical focus, but Goes West is not without its highlights. Opener "Alpine Star" is an epic of sorts, relaxed and flowing lyrically and freely despite a clear structure and articulation. "Fall Safe" blends English folk with California breeziness, while "Rebecca" recalls Behold the Spirit's sparse qualities. As a guitar player, Tyler especially knows to keep good company, enlisting Meg Duffy on electric guitars and a guest spot from the one-and-only Bill Frisell on "Our Lady in the Desert," another really distinct composition from the album.
Though not the most recognizable name, William Tyler is now over 20 years into a successful music career. He appeared on five albums of Lambchop, a diverselyNashville country/soul, as well as toured/recorded with the Silver Jews and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. He has recently produced for newcomer Jake Xerxes Fussell and wrote one song for Mary J. Blige. And now, he has four reflective and solo albums in nine years. Each release is of consistent quality and each with their own unique facets. The first, the almost entirely acoustic Behold the Spirit, was released on indie label Tompkins Square before Tyler was picked up by Merge. At long last, Goes West marks the first collaborative effort, and the results feel both playful and refined in new ways.
The summery tone comes from the multi-layered textures employed by Tyler - while he plays acoustic guitar, the other band gracefully supports his lead and follows his vision to a T. For an instrumental album, the record is unusually cohesive, sounding exceptionally distinctive with the passage of each track. Of course, it does all tend to blur without a lyrical focus, but Goes West is not without its highlights. Opener "Alpine Star" is an epic of sorts, relaxed and flowing lyrically and freely despite a clear structure and articulation. "Fall Safe" blends English folk with California breeziness, while "Rebecca" recalls Behold the Spirit's sparse qualities. As a guitar player, Tyler especially knows to keep good company, enlisting Meg Duffy on electric guitars and a guest spot from the one-and-only Bill Frisell on "Our Lady in the Desert," another really distinct composition from the album.
Comments
Post a Comment