The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE recommends an impressive impersonation of Bob Dylan
Album reviews with IAN SINCLAIR: September 23, 2024
New releases from Yasmin Williams and The War On Drugs, and a tribute album to Jesse Malin
The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE reviews Here, Vermiglio, William Tell and Wolf Man
New releases from Thorpe and Morrison, Daria Kulesh, and Will Finn and Rosie Calvert
RINA ARYA confronts the brutal operation of Francis Bacon’s approach to portraiture
Emphasising his continuous engagement in labour movement struggles, ALISTAIR FINDLAY salutes John Foster’s contribution as activist, strategist, intellectual and defender of the Morning Star
ANDY MIAH advocates the use of AI to assist people by expanding access to global literature and culture
EWAN KOTZ relishes a veteran Glasgow band that have lost none of their verve for live performance
Yasmin Williams
Acadia
(Nonesuch)
★★★★
INSPIRED to take up the acoustic guitar after playing the Guitar Hero 2 video game, 27-year old Yasmin Williams now makes her debut for a (relatively) major label. The Virginia native plays the finger-style sitting with the instrument on her lap, conjuring stunningly beautiful, melodic contemporary folk music.
She significantly broadens her sound on Acadia, working with other talented musicians like Rich Ruth (synths) and William Tyler (guitars). On Harvest she is joined by Darian Donovan Thomas on violin, while Hummingbird is a foot-tapping bluegrass workout. Later tracks like Dreamlake and Malamu include electric guitar riffage, with the latter a tribute to her early guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.
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