BAEBLE SESSIONS: Tim Williams at The Guest Apartment

Tim Williams is a different sort of fellow then last we heard him on his '07 release When Work is Done. On that record, Tim was a man - a bearded man at that - strumming an acoustic guitar, singing the kind of warm, glowing pop tunes men of his facial flock tend to do so well. His soon to be released follow-up Careful Love (Dovecote), however, is a different sort of collection; one where Williams sets aside his trusted sidekick in favor of a stack of amps, a vat of electrical currents, and a band of his very own. Yes, he's still a bearded man, but this here Mr. Williams is a different sort of fellow. Naturally, we instructed "the band" Tim Williams to dress down, musically speaking, when they visited The Guest Apartment. Admits Williams, "I guess we haven't gotten that far away from it (the acoustic guitar, that is)".

In this segment, Tim, flanked by musicians Matt Welsh and Misty Boyce, previews four songs from the upcoming Careful Love LP. Presented here, the session allows one to imagine Tim alone, inspired by new places (he moved to Nashville and recorded in LA for the first time) and trying moments in life (much of these songs were penned while recuperating from heart surgery), laying out a set of his most personal songs to date. For their part, Welsh and Boyce provide flesh and blood to Tim's skeletal frame work, coating the arrangements in intertwining acoustic meanderings, pocket glockenspiel, fits of melodica, and most notably, warm, three part harmonies that truly set Tim's songs ablaze. Here, lies a stunning demonstration of the dance between song and human emotion. Prepare to be delighted. - David Pitz