Trespassers William – Having Review
Posted by Frank Estrada on 04.06.2006
I think my girlfriend would like Trespassers William because she really digs bands like Poe and Portishead. I think you will like it because you like a great voice and unconventional, ethereal, music that is deep like the black abyss.
With a name like Trespassers William I didn't know what to expect. With an album name like Having, lets just say I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but give me a little hint. I like to hear new music, so I volunteered to listen to this album and just wanted to be honest with the results. A quick meditation on the name Trespassers William, I imagined a rootsy rock and roll jam band lead by a guy named William. Boy was I wrong on all counts.
Having starts with an odd, moody, sonic, song (Safe Sound) that starts off with a weird pace and a woman singing. I was stunned. Where was my William? Where was my rock and roll? It was nothing I expected, but it sounded interesting so after the initial shock, I continued to listen. That was the hardest track to get use to. After that it's all uphill. Meaning each song gets better as it builds. Track by track, we get a great moody, dark (but light on the bleak) bittersweet album, that is helmed by my new favorite vocalist Anna-Lynne Williams. Also I need to give the band and production a standing ovation, because the production is so clean, when it could have easily been muddied and this would have been a whole different album if that happened.
Singer Anna-Lynne Williams, no, let's call her crooner, or angel. She sounds like she is pouring her soul to the listener. What would you call that? She haunts every track on this album. While the band behind her, doesn't rock out, but paints a dreamy sonic backdrop with hues of chords, volumes and the harmonies of Ms. Williams. Actually it's easy to compare Trespassers William to Mazzy Star or The Cocteau Twins. That's easy. I'm going to one up that statement. This is what the follow-up to Fiona Apple'sTidal should have sounded like. Now I do like Fiona and truly believe she is an artist rather than a pop idol. But I truly feel Trespassers William picks up a torch (song) that I though burned out along time ago.
This is an album to listen to in the dark. This is an album to listen to while watching the stars. This is an album to impress your hipster friends. This is an album that will impress your girlfriend. This is an album to sit back and enjoy. You want mood music that doesn't make you cry; put Having on and listen. Trespassers William I do not know who you are or where you came from, but through the graces of Myspace, I have learned this is your 3rd album. If those are half as good as Having you have a fan for life.
The 411: This album is a great surprise and a breath of fresh air at the same time. Where have all the great female vocalists gone? Where are the new great female vocalists? And I’m not talking about the American Idol women either. If you are asking yourselves these questions, well look no further than Trespassers William and their album Having. It’s ballsy and cool enough to let your friends hear and tell them “look what I found.” What I found is a great album from a band whose name, in my opinion, doesn’t fit the mood or music. But I will forgive them for that. See you guys at Spaceland when you come my way.
