Imagine sitting in an attic surrounded by suitcases from your past, with a curious reverence you open them and you spin on a trajectory of reflections, your dream, the person you were and the person you now are. Now add in a soundtrack, a narrative of life lived long enough to analyse with both compassion and clarity…now meet Charlie Williams album The Divider.
Like a time travelling minstrel Williams is not afraid of the dark corners, merging with a cocktail of sounds reminiscent of Billy Bragg, Glenn Tilbrook and Paul Weller, his songs visually take you on a journey. Honest, open and beyond the security that this cage brings, an excellent lyric and conjures images of Maya Angelou’s epic autobiography I know why the caged bird sings!
As a writer of novels this album has taken a surprising number of decades to evolve, but that fermentation of time has grown a well rounded and accomplished result, where lyrics and sounds blend into tracks that gain warmth with each listen.
This album bears the scars of a broken relationship with the glints of hope seen beyond the bottom of a bottle. This album offers accessible lyrics with underlays of honest heartfelt experience.
When the Devil Rides addresses the temptation of the known and Cider with Rosie – Laurie Lee story of first love and discovery of sexual awakening. Summers evoke a passionate urgency to the piece which races you though an internal monologue, you hear the folk origins and can see countenance through the words sung.
Bringing the obscure options from a rhyming dictionary together with a surprisingly comfortable predictability this is an album whose lyrics carry value and an intriguing vocabulary, how many songs can claim to contain the word bequeath?
Listen to the album and seek out his live performances, Charlie Williams is local to Worcester and time has added depth and consideration to his story, it’s time to hear the songs.
The Divider by Charlie Williams will be released on March 21st 2025.
By: Juliet Mootz