Americana-UK review

The dominant sound of this record is a banjo, sometimes augmented by percussion and even background cicadas, but it's the gnarled persistence of the clawhammer which really lingers in the mind and whilst the technique never dazzles, it still rolls along quite nicely. There is a deliberate primitivism to the whole affair, even in terms of the recording, with a great deal of clipping evident on the vocals, perhaps in an attempt to emulate the field recordings of old. Fortunately the songs are short and the album's title quite literal, which prevents the sonic homogeneity from ever growing too dull.

As on his previous releases, Williams aims for a kind of gothic old-time music, trying to invoke the spine-chilling quality of something like Ralph Stanley's recording of O Death and on a song like Thin Ice he certainly comes close. Whilst it is probably impossible to fully recapture the quality of such material, Williams impresses with his resonant vocals and turn of phrase. The lyrics of Apple Tree have all the Biblical exhortations associated with old-time spirituals, delivered with a compelling ferocity. Some songs do get lost amongst the flurry of material, but the majority make their presence felt.

In his revivalism, Williams recalls the likes of Michael Hurley or Peter Stampfel, albeit without any of their wry humour. This is possibly the principle difficulty with the album, for whilst those artists were adept at reinvention as well as revival, Williams sticks too closely to the formula and lacking the authenticity of the originals, comes dangerously close to mere pastiche. Fortunately, whilst this sense of self-consciousness never fully evaporates, he is a skilled enough songwriter in other respects to somewhat negate this criticism, and if you can overlook the occasional moment of artifice, there is much to enjoy.
6 out of 10
-Kai Roberts
Americana-UK