Music Review – Dar Williams – I'll Meet You Here

I’ve been enjoying this new record from Dar Williams – a Phoenixville favorite of ours for a number of years.

She’s a veteran of the New England folk community and Williams has been active as a performer since the late 80s; she’s probably best known for contemplative and remarkably catchy releases like 1996’s Mortal City and 2000’s The Green World, but her discography reaches wide in both directions along the timeline, and the new record seems to be about those moments where time catches up with you, and you decide to greet it by living in the ‘now.’

“At some point,” she confided recently, “you have to meet life where it meets you … I think what the songs [on this new album] all have in common is the willingness to meet life as it arrives.”

Produced by Stewart Lerman, who also provides some wonderful acoustic & gut string guitar work here, Dar writes some personal songs that tend to be open and conversational – inviting the listener to participate in the stories as they musically unfold.

“Little Town” is an especially poignant example of that. It’s the centerpiece of the record & a quiet confession by the artist – Yes, she’s a tremendous musician, but she is also a fantastic songwriter. The combination of those two talents serves her well on the recording. “Berkeley” includes a clever nod to the Beat Generation and is a thought-provoking song during these uncertain times of struggle and loss.

She also writes from the viewpoint of a woman who has weathered plenty of storms -as vividly described in “Let the Wind Blow,” and is no longer willing to delude herself into believing someone else’s definition of love - as evidenced in “I Never Knew.” The excellence continues through “Today & Every Day,” and “Sullivan Lane” – both being beautiful songs.

The album closer, “You’re Aging Well,” carries special significance. It originally appeared on Dar’s first album, and was then recorded by the legendary Joan Baez later thereby anointing Williams as a folk artist worthy of attention.

This release reinforces that affirmation and may very well be one of Dar’s finest works to date. She's set to perform in our area, at the Sellersville Theater on October 9th, and I cannot wait to hear these tunes (& maybe a few older gems) performed live - It's been a long time coming!