Folk album fails to utilize lyrics, rhythm
Folk singer Dar Williams’ new
release, The Beauty of the Rain,’
combines restrained melodies
with general, subtle imagery
CD review
Aaron Shakra
Puise Reporter
As winter fades away and spring
reaches full bloom, the rain still has
not disappeared. This makes “The
Beauty of the Rain,” Dar Williams’ lat
est album, appropriate for the season.
This album is her fifth official stu
dio recording, although the folk
singer has numerous other EPs and
limited-release recordings dating
back to her pre-record label days.
“The Beauty of the Rain,” sounds
lavish and fuller than any of her pre
vious releases, yet somehow, the
sum is not quite equal to its parts.
Today's crossword solution
Razor & Tie released “The Beauty of
the Rain” in February, and Williams
will appear in Eugene on Saturday.
The music on the album seems
restrained and the melodies are
similar. There are guest stars aplen
ty — John Popper of Blues Traveler
on harmonica and Michael Kang of
The String Cheese Incident on vio
lin, among others. But even with the
appearance of Bela Fleck on banjo,
this album isn’t exciting. Note that
“exciting” need not be equated with
“rocking.” Williams is a folk singer,
after all. However, nothing stands
out, and the sound blends together.
The drum and rhythm section suffers
and never goes beyond the role it’s so
commonly regulated to in western mu
sic —that is, of being the metronome, or
tracking device for the rest of the song.
It’s pretty much 4/4 all the way through.
Then, there are the lyrics them
selves. Rather than make overtly
specific statements in her songs,
Williams’ words tend toward the po
etic and subtle. Reading the lyrics in
the liner notes further drives this
point home — the line breaks and
verses read like many poems. How
ever, the problem is that her vocabu
lary of imagery is often stuck in gen
erality — the world, beauty, rain,
mountains, life, sea, etc. These
words fall short of their potential be
cause, on their own, they are inert
and not often elaborated on.
Of course, in all fairness to
Williams, it is not important what
she says but rather how she says it.
Her voice is joyfully sensuous and
breathy, which lends power to the
delivery of even the simpler lyrics,
such as when she sings “The beauty
of the rain is how it falls, how it falls,
how it falls” in the title track.
While I may have issues with this
particular album, there is no deny
ing Williams’ artistry on the whole.
She plays at the McDonald Theatre,
located at 1010 Willamette St., on
Saturday, bringing a full band with
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Dar Williams brings her folk melodies to the McDonald Theatre on Saturday.
her. The group includes Julie Wolf,
who has previously played with Ani
DiFranco. Williams’ tour will bring
attention to the Solar Electric Light
Fund, a nonprofit organization for
renewable energy sources. Tickets
are #18 in advance and #20 on the
day of the show. The doors open at
8 p.m., and show time is at 9 p.m.
Contact the Pulse reporter
at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com.
Hip-hop
continued from page 5
The artist said he prides himself
on the positive message of his mu
sic, which has often possessed a de
cidedly political slant.
For instance, on the track
“Earthcrusher,” Lif paints a vivid
portrait of the destructive conse
quences of nuclear proliferation.
Lifs single, “Home of the Brave”
exemplifies how the artist blends
his political views into his music.
However, Lif said politics are just
one aspect of his work.
“After ‘Home of the Brave,’ peo
ple wanted to lump me into an easy
category,” Lif said. “But my mission
has always been about everything
from social commentary to looking
back on my youthful stumblings to
the educational system and family.”
He added that it is difficult to
avoid politics when the systems of
government shape all our lives. But
now more than ever, Lif said he is
striving to distance himself from
the suffocating label of a politically
active performer.
“After (Sept. 11, 2001), I had a
lot to say in my music about the
propaganda Bush was throwing at
us about the U.S. as an innocent
victim,” Lif said. “I wanted to offer
an alternative view. But with Oper
ation Iraqi Freedom, I felt a lot of
people were looking to me, assum
ing I would play a bigger role. But I
just felt like everything had been
said. So many people spoke out —
I mean, the Beastie Boys, the Dixie
Chicks. I just didn’t feel a need to.”
Publicist Teal Garreles said Lifs
politics don’t detract from his raw
talents as a performer.
“He has a great stage presence
and he has a talent for getting
crowds hyped,” Garreles said.
Lifs show will be executed in the
spirit of his latest album, and he
characterized it as much more than
a concert.
“People can expect an all-out
production,” Lif said. “’I Phantom’
is meant to play out as a story and
the show reflects that. We have
sets, props, cast members. The
music is played in sequence like
the album.”
Lifs WOW Hall appearance will
be the final show of his current
tour. The show begins at 9 p.m.,
and tickets are $8 in advance or
#10 at the door.
This summer, Lif will begin
work on another solo album as
well as a collaboration with The
Perceptionists. And in July, Lif
will make his way across the Euro
pean festival circuit. He said Ger
many is a favorite stop.
“They like that rough shit,” Lif
said.
Contact the senior Pulse reporter
atryanbornheimer@dailyemerald.com.
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