In a musical world inundated with tacky, over-sexed female “artists”, acoustic rocker Phoenix Williams is a breath of fresh air. Since Michelle Branch decided to jump off the pop/rock ship and move to country music, I’ve had a difficult time finding female singer/songwriters that have an appealing sound. Enter the shockingly unsigned Phoenix Williams.
Williams, originally from Blackpool, England, definitely has a Sheryl Crow/ Shawn Colvin vibe about her music, but it’s her voice that helps her to stand out. It’s soothing and sweet when it needs to be, but don’t write her off as another chick with a guitar at open-mic night. Williams has a set of powerful pipes that give her a definitive edge over her competition.
Her debut album, ‘Wait and See’, is out now and available on iTunes with two singles, ‘Everything’s Good’ and ‘Permanently In My Heart’ already released.
My favorite track on the album would be ‘Permanently In My Heart’ with honorable mentions being ‘Lover Let Go’ and ‘The Moment I Let You Go’. That last song is a wonderfully heart-wrenching story of regret, “I realize I’m my own worst enemy/ now that I see/ see what you mean to me/ wish to erase/ erase from my memory/ the moment I let you go”. The emotional vocal and guitar work on this song is phenomenal and I would love to see Williams release this as her next single.
Every track on the album is worth a listen, a rare feat for a debut album. ‘Back to Mine’ is a provocative little tune, but in a good way. It’s a soft acoustic song about seeing a beautiful stranger in a bar and inviting them, “back to mine, for a good time.” Other artists should take note, this is how you write a sensual song, with subtlety (I mean, seriously Lady Gaga, ‘I want to take a ride on your disco stick’?). Williams is a very talented songwriter that knows what she’s doing and I look forward to hearing more from her.
You can listen to the lovely Williams on her Myspace or buy her album on iTunes; available in the US as well.
Anglophile Files 