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Dar Williams brings us to the "Promised Land"

by
Jamie Anderson

Pop-folk singer-songwriter Dar Williams has a new release, and I’m positively giddy about it. Promised Land features her trademark thoughtful and candid observations of life but with a little harder musical edge than her previous releases.

You won’t find any screeching metal solos or the like, but she used Grammy nominee Brad Wood as her producer (Liz Phair, Sarah Bettens) so it’s going to be different than her previous effort, Honesty Room.

It’s not that Williams moved directly from earthy folk goddess to rocker queen — in fact, she’s never been the latter — but there’s been a gradual movement away from a simple girl-with-guitar style.

Wandering around art museums helped fuel some songs, as did the Milgram social psychology experiments in which people were asked to administer electric shocks to others. Williams got to thinking about why someone would conform to an experiment like that and wrote “Buzzer.”

The new album also includes a great cover of “Midnight Radio” from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It’s a ballad that fits in well with her originals because it sounds like something she’d write. Also featured on the album are Suzanne Vega and Marshall Crenshaw.

Are you a Dar fan? Do you plan to buy the new album?

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    • Submitted by
    Jamie Anderson
    on October 10, 2008 - 9:00am.
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    LB's picture

    I Was Out There Listening

    Submitted by
    LB (73 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 9:12am.
    Not sure why the front page says "Her second album...", but I'm a fan of much of Dar's music. For me, Mortal City is her best work (especially "As Cool As I Am") though "Are You Out There" from End of the Summer may be my favorite Dar track. Some of her stuff has gotten a bit too somber for my taste, but I'll certainly give the new one a listen. She can be a lyrical genius given the right track.
    FireWontQuell's picture

    The article mentions it's

    Submitted by
    FireWontQuell (145 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 9:50am.

    The article mentions it's her second album too:

    "It’s going to be different than her first effort, Honesty Room."

     

    However, like you, I know that this is far from her second album.

     

    desertheart32's picture

    just got this album. it's

    Submitted by
    desertheart32 (3 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 9:44am.
    just got this album. it's really good.. especially the one with suzanne vega. their voices are yummy together
    Dancing-River's picture

    You missed her other 7 albums

    Submitted by
    Dancing-River (73 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 10:24am.

    Hey Jamie, thanks for the article but it amazes me that, like other readers have mentioned, you missed two thirds of Dar's career.  The Honesty Room is indeed her first album from 1993, but since then she has released 7 other albums including 2 live recordings. She is actually known for being quite prolific.

     

    • The Honesty Room (1993)
    • Mortal City (1996)
    • End of The Summer (1997)
    • The Green World (2000)
    • Out There Live (2001)
    • The Beauty of the Rain (2003)
    • My Better Self (2005)
    • Live at Bearsville Theater (2007)
    • Promised Land (2008)

    I am not sure where you got your facts but as a Dar Williams fan I think it might be nice not to erase more than half of her career when you mention her. 

    JamieA's picture

    I'm a fan so I know she has a lot of releases

    Submitted by
    JamieA (13 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 12:05pm.
    The piece I turned in noted that Honesty Room was her first release but it was changed during the editing process. Not only am I a fan but I've sold her CDs at festivals so I know how many wonderful albums she has!
    Trish Bendix's picture

    Don't worry, I've changed it

    Submitted by
    Trish Bendix (7980 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 11:01am.
    Don't worry, I've changed it so that it now reflects that it is not only her second album! She does, certainly, have a lot of music under her belt. Sorry, Dar fans! :)
    kirstinjohnson10's picture

    Something to consider (or not)

    Submitted by
    kirstinjohnson10 (2 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 11:31am.
    I hope that Dar Williams has changed in her attitude towards gays as she has evolved in her life and her career. I knew her briefly when she was starting her career (I mean, when she was still playing tiny gigs and working crap jobs on the side) and she suddenly gave me the cold shoulder out of the blue even as she walked into one of those small gigs that i had incidentally arranged for her at my college. I felt strongly that the only reason she did so was because she found out I was gay. It was quite a painful moment. I don't write this to attack her character, but unless I misunderstood (and I don't think I did), I wanted to put this out there. Of course, she was quite young and may have evolved 100% since then. I haven't listened to any but her early music, so I have no idea.
    JamieA's picture

    I haven't found the same thing

    Submitted by
    JamieA (13 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 12:10pm.

    I haven't found her to be that way at all. She seems very comfortable at women's music festivals and with me personally. I've met her several times. Not only is she kind in general but she's very supportive of other musicians, something you don't always see with well-known performers.

    Hannah's picture

    another experience

    Submitted by
    Hannah (271 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 4:28pm.

    I went to her show recently and when everyone was crowding around to get stuff signed, a lesbian couple and a dude approached her. They told her they were celebrating cause the guy was donating sperm for the two women to have a baby. Dar seemed genuinely enthusiastic and asked them to "let me know how it goes!"

    I've only ever gotten a gay-friendly vibe from Dar. I'm sorry it was different for you. :(

    sbg6's picture

    that was me! and Dar's ambiguous past

    Submitted by
    sbg6 (1 post)
    on October 11, 2008 - 8:37am.

    If you're talking about the Chicago concert, that was me!  Dar was totally great, and we all (including the sperm donor and his fiancee) love her music.

    I've also read that she was intentionally ambiguous for a long time about her sexual orientation.  Many of her early songs sound a bit queer, and she was in the closet about being straight.  Finally, a magazine misquoted her as saying she was bi, and so she spoke out to say that was incorrect.  

    So Dar=awesome and also gay-friendly.  Also, my copy of "Promised Land" is signed to my "ever-growing family."  :-)

    lolcaz's picture

    I've never listened to Dar,

    Submitted by
    lolcaz (47 posts)
    on October 10, 2008 - 11:57am.

    I've never listened to Dar, although last.fm keeps recommending her to me.
    I really would like to listen to her cover of Midnight Radio though! That song has been in my head for the past week. Great song.

    yaddayadda's picture

    Late to the party

    Submitted by
    yaddayadda (328 posts)
    on November 4, 2008 - 5:28pm.
    I'm a casual fan of Dar (i.e. I love my random mp3s...After All, Iowa, As Cool As I Am, Are You Out There), and didn't know she had a new album out. Thanks for the head's up, AE, I found this while doing a random search!

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