Rating:
Genre:
Folk
Release Date: 08/06/2002
Victoria Williams is a storyteller of her own kind who possesses a matchless whimsicality. On her fifth album,
Sings Some Ol' Songs,
Williams' peculiar vocal beauty comes alive in an exciting collection of
traditional standards. It's a great fit, too.
Williams is delightfully intelligent in giving some of these songs new life, but doesn't miss out on the initial grace behind them all.
Williams soaks herself in light
jazz sounds on the blushing rendition of
Henry Mancini's
"Moon River." Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's classic
"My Funny Valentine" is vocally sleek, while the
old-timey good time of
"Keep Sweeping Cobwebs Off the Moon" and the sassy
salsa beats of
"And Roses and Roses" are fashionably more her style. The obscuro fun of
Eden Ahbez's
"Mongoose" is equally playful.
Sings Some Ol' Songs is essentially a reverie of
traditional pop and its musical roots. The production is clear and concise, allowing the dreamlike quality of
Sings Some Ol' Songs to simply arrive.
Williams keeps things innocent in a natural way in keeping listeners interested. With this particular album, she's introducing swan songs of yesteryear to a new audience. It's absolutely lovely.
~MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide