Holly Williams Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
If it's hard to follow in the footsteps of a famous parent, it must be even tougher to do so when said parent is the offspring of a music legend. Singer/songwriter Holly Williams not only faces the daunting task of standing in the long shadow cast by her father, rough-and-tumble country outlaw Hank Jr., but the even longer shadow cast by the grandfather she never knew, country progenitor Hank Williams. While most famous offspring are lacking in the talent department and have to lean heavily on their family name, Williams doesn't. The comely singer drips talent on her Mercury Nashville debut, Here with Me. Her music is a pop-Americana hybrid, raw and real while at the same time polished to a beautiful shine. The singer's songs don't even hint at the contrived candyfloss schlock of 21st century Nashville. This is music straight from the gut, via the heart. Williams tackles her parents' divorce on "Mama," a clear-headed cut that gives a nod to the way her mother and father handled their breakup. The poignant "Without Jesus Here with Me," written about a March 2006 automobile accident that nearly took the lives of Williams and her sister Hilary, is a powerful spiritual number. Sparingly decorated with piano, percussion, and weeping steel guitar, the song packs an emotional punch. Other standout tracks include the rattling "Keep the Change," a pointed kiss-off tune, and the vocally stunning "Three Days in Bed," a folk-blues track anchored by a single acoustic guitar and a soul-consuming melody. Forget about long shadows -- Williams steps out into the light on Here with Me and proves she doesn't need to use the family name as a crutch. ~ Todd Sterling, All Music Guide
'The Ones We Never Knew'
Release Date 10/5/2004
Tracks 12
Label Universal South
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It was bound to happen someday -- somebody in Hank Williams' family tree was bound to produce a classy, tasteful album, and that somebody is Holly Williams, the granddaughter of Hank, daughter of Hank Jr., and sister of Hank III. Where her father and brother are proud of their rough, rowdy, rebellious ways, Holly is a somber, meditative adult alternative pop singer/songwriter -- which, given her lineage, might be the most rebellious thing she could have done. While her debut album, Ones We Never Knew, might be a little too quiet and self-serious, it does showcase an ambitious songwriter and soulful singer with a knack for sustaining an introspective mood and a way with words. Taken in small doses, this is quite effective -- she's creating sketches with her words and music that are quite haunting and evocative -- but by the end of the record, it's hard not to wish that she would have varied the instrumentation and tempos a little bit more, adding other sonic textures and moods to this downbeat, reflective record. In spite of this, Ones We Never Knew is a promising debut from Holly Williams -- a record strong enough to stand on its own merits, regardless of her family history. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
