Nick Williams’s album came into my email last week and I popped it on for a play. I’ve had a busy day; we took down a wooden shed that was being annoying in the back garden and was attracting wasps desperate to nest there all the time. So a time to myself listening to some music seemed very attractive. I have never heard anything by this artist previously. He tells us, “I’m an ‘old school’ songwriter. I place great emphasis on the lyrics. The words actually mean something. The stories need telling. I want people to hear and cover my songs.”
My impression pre-listening is that Nick Williams is principally a songwriter who sees this album as a chance to place himself in the metaphorical shop window for songwriting. I guess the proof is in the pudding, so I will have a listen.
Released March 31, 2025.
My review:
“All God’s Children.” This opens the album with the line “All God’s Children need travelling shoes…” a book title of Maya Angelou and also the first line of Tanita Tikarum’s “Twist in My Sobriety.” It sets out a stall for a folk album; it was a strong opener within this genre. It took me toward what Ervin Munir is currently doing.
“The Road to Redemption” continues with a loose religious theme. This one is upbeat, a fairly quick delivery and contains plenty of energy in delivery. I enjoyed the chorus, and I got into the track. It’s strong, modern folk storytelling.
“I Don’t Know Nothin No More.” This one is a bit more full of angst and turns on the changing world. It has a sense of humor for sure and retains that conversational delivery between artist and listener. It was fine, but probably not for me this one.
“The Silent Treatment.” I liked this a lot better than the previous track. It has a gentle rocking feel to it, a little bit of dance and some spice in the rhythm. A pleasing listen.
“Hanging Tree” leads with a lovely acoustic and a dark tale. This is a song for winter I would say and a story of history and death. It has that late-night-around-the-campfire feel.
“Brakeman” runs at over six minutes. It’s another campfire feel track that struck me as a bit mid-album. It tells a story to the acoustic guitar but doesn’t really ignite me as a listener (much as I do actually like trains, it reminds me of my Dad).
“Like Tumbleweed” was one that I think a country singer could pick up and give their own feel to. The guitar playing is nice; instinct pulls me to a softer vocal delivery for it.
“The State I’m In” is instrumentally pleasing; it has that Ervin Munir feel again to the track, yet it nods toward American folk/Americana as well lyrically and rhythmically.
“The Nihilistic Blues.” This one picks up speed a bit. I would not say this was a blues album, but there are tracks that lyrically give a strong nod to the blues. This is one of those; it is lyrical reverie with a twist of blues.
“Hell Was Full” was quite good fun. There was a twist of George Formby here, and it’s a tale with tongue in cheek.
“Huntin’, Shootin’, Killin’.” This is a dark little number. I guess we all have the desire to kill someone now and then (I have two in my target line lol). I liked the beat to it; the lyrics were (thankfully, I hope) very much tongue-in-cheek again about those paid-up members of the NRA.
“The Bigger Picture” finishes rather sadly as we contemplate our end. It’s okay, but the theme was a bit down for me late in the day.
Standout Tracks: “All God’s Children,” “Hell Was Full” and “The Silent Treatment.”
In Summary: As a showcase of Nick Williams’ songwriting ability, this album acts as a solid shop window—particularly for folk or Americana artists looking for something to make their own. While not every track hit home for me, the album as a whole demonstrates a knack for melody, lyrical wit, and a storyteller’s heart.
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All songs written by Nick Williams.
Vocals, guitars and percussion Nick Williams
Additional instruments Tom Bishop
Studio engineer Tom Bishop.
Available to stream here
By Stevie Ritson