Brooks Williams
Album: More New Everything
Label: Red Guitar Blue Music
Tracks: 7
Website: http://www.brookswilliams.com

More New Everything was issued for the Xmas Market. This review has been on the back burner for one reason; the man has a few concert dates over the next week. Brooks been recording over the past 24 years and I first heard him around 14 years ago through 'Dead Sea Café' a retrospective collection of songs from his Green Linnet period, plus 3 reworked songs from the early years and 2002's compilation of favorites from first two albums entitled 'Acoustic Beginnings'. More recently he recorded and toured with Boo Hewerdine releasing 'State of the Union' which includes a brilliant version of The Pet Boys song 'Rent' with only slide guitar and vocals and the live album 'Snake Oil' in 2012.

Last year he followed that with New Everything and songs which didn't make the albums final cut have been released on the EP.

There is nothing second rate about the EP, which is classy Americana of the highest order. The EP kicks off with the country feel of 'Going Away' featuring multi-instrumentalist Sam Sweeney on fiddle and according to the sleeve notes 'Going Away' is one of Brooks' most requested "lost love" songs. 'Joanna' reminds me so much of James Taylor that I half expected Mr. Taylor to have lead vocal duties but fortunately for me, it's an instrumental.

I first heard 'Winter Moon' about the extraordinary light of the winter moon from a room in Utah - and a gathering storm on the distant horizon on 'Dead Sea Café', but I much prefer this solo rendition with its awesome electric guitar fingerpicking. 'Shaking These Christmas Blues' is pure 50's Uncle Sam, a classic, full and rich like an home-made chocolate yule tide, close my eyes and I can picture myself on a veranda in Utah looking out on the Bear River Mountains as I listen to 'Tippers' which features Rowan Rheingans on banjo and Brooks on a variety of guitars. The only non- original track 'Are you Tired of Me My Darling' closes the EP and is a song Brooks has been singing for over 20 years. The only track I don't like is 'Teach Me' which is the only full band track on the EP and is also on the New Everything album. If someone could teach me to like it: we would have the perfect EP!

Brooks Williams is certainly a guitarist's guitarist. There's more great chops on this EP than you will find in a butchers window. If you get a chance catch Brooks live perform live and you won't be disappointed.

Upcoming live dates:
Jan 28 Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury
Jan 29 Celtic Connections Festival, Glasgow
Jan 30 The Met, Bury
Jan 31 Cambridge Folk Club, Cambridge

Chris Light