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Dar Williams

Promised Land (Razor & Tie)

By Adrienne Urbanski
Published: September 24th, 2008 | 9:03am

Dar Williams is the type of musician that maintains enough quiet obscurity that her following seems to solely consist of die-hard fanatics — while the artist herself manages relative anonymity within the rest of the music world. Williams’ sound, while masterful, is certainly not memorable to the casual listener; her fondness for the quieter melodies has left her just under the radar. Still, those crops of die-hard fans have led Williams to carve out a nice niche for herself — even if the majority of music listeners couldn’t call her out by name. Perhaps her “under the radar” status could also be credited to the simple fact that she rarely strays from her signature sound, one that she has used to build a steady career. However, when you hear Williams and her obvious talent, you can’t help but wish for some change of direction, some kind of variation.

Promised Land thankfully shows Williams attempting to change direction, involving in the recording process such players as producer Brad Wood (known for his work with the Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair) and Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks), and the infinitely gifted Suzanne Vega.

Williams’ choice of tracks also displays an interest in change, most noticeably on the album’s covers, which include a wonderful rendition of “Midnight Radio” — a tune from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a humorous musical about a transsexual with a botched operation. Williams also tackles Fountain Of Wayne’s “Troubled Times,” adding a new emotional weight to the piece with her well-crafted delivery. The songs actually penned by her, for the most part, consist of the same sound. The track “Buzzer” is the standout of the original tracks, showing Williams doing what she does best. While I applaud Williams in her ventures towards innovation, I can’t help but want this singer to spread her wings a little wider and abandon her comfort zone.

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