Holly Williams - Here With Me Review
Posted by Paul Hollingsworth on 07.04.2009
The granddaughter of the greatest country singer of all time rejoins the family business, but does she have more to offer than just a famous last name?
Track Listing:
1. He's Making A Fool Out Of You
2. Mama
3. I Hold On
4. Keep The Change
5. Let Her Go
6. Three Days in Bed
7. Alone
8. Gone With The Morning Sun
9. Without Jesus Here With Me
10. Birds
11. A Love I Think Will Last
If you're Holly Williams , daughter of Hank Williams, Jr., half-sister of Hank Williams, III and, of course, granddaughter to Hank Williams, your career path is pretty much set for you the day you're born. After the lukewarm response to her debut, (2004's The Ones We Never Know), however, Williams was dropped from her record label and retreated from the spotlight, although not very far away. She was also involved in a near fatal car wreck in 2006, which partly explains her lengthy absence.
Oh her first album, Williams was classified as a singer-songwriter alt-country act, but from the pop friendly opener, "He's Making A Fool Of You", its clear that Williams has moved more toward a modern pop-country style. The slick production and sing along chorus might result in a hit, but it seems almost beneath her, and plays like an obvious and overly thought out attempt at a lead single. This song could be sung by any number of current women country singers, and is just as bland and vanilla as anything you're likely to hear on current country radio.
"Mama" which fairs no better musically, at least shows a bit of personality and Williams' above average lyric writing ability. The song deals with Williams childhood spent with a single mother and absent and world famous father. It doesn't rest on clichés and seems much more personal and authentic, even if the music itself is about as non-descript as a song can be.
"Three Days In Bed" is one of the few tracks on the album which Williams seems most comfortable within her own skin. The sparse and light acoustic guitar provides a non obtrusive accompaniment to Williams' voice, which sounds both strong and uncertain, as though she were seeking approval from the ghost of her grandfather for writing such a personal song, while at the same time, determined to be proud of the attempt, regardless of what he might have to say.
The only other highlight of the album is the cover of Neil Young's "Birds", another stripped down affair which showcases the broad range of Williams' voice. The music is once again restrained and allows Williams to make full use of her voice, which at its best, does resemble a female version of Hank Williams. (Thankfully, there's little here to remind you of her father, except for the obviously autobiographical lyrics, and Williams should get some credit for not attempting to write a Hank Williams, Jr. type song or even a Hank Williams, Sr. type song, for that matter.)
The 411: No matter how her career progresses, Williams will always be Hank Williams' granddaughter, which is a tough gig. While it no doubt opens lots of doors, it also creates unreasonable and unreachable expectations. Nothing on this album, with the notable exception of "Three Days In Bed" sounds all that interesting or unique. This album wouldn't get a second look if it had any other artist's name on the cover, and likely would have never been released. Still, Williams is part of country music royalty, and maybe her name will buy her the time (and albums) to grow as an artist.
