Calgary Herald

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Arts & Style PAGE C10

Williams takes ‘70s style for a spin

BY J.D. Considine

Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service

Dar Williams admits her current album, This Green World, is a bit of a throwback.

It isn’t like contemporary pop albums, beat-driven and focused on fluffy, accessible singles. It’s not what we’ve come to expect from contemporary singer/songwriters, who emphasize acoustic instruments and deliberately stripped-down production. No, it’s smart, song-focused and well-produced -- just like albums used to be during the heyday of the singer/songwriter movement, when Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne were at the top of the charts. As it turns out, that’s precisely the sort of album Williams wanted to make.

"When we started out, we were aspiring to make an album the way they did in the ‘70s," she says over the phone from a tour stop in Providence, R.I. "We wanted a whole album that thematically is loosely united, and where each song is treated like a different story with different musical environments, but which hangs together as a piece."

Williams is known for her intelligence and ambition. But as proud as she is of her material, she wanted to ensure her recordings worked as albums, not simply as a collection of songs. She liked the idea of "just having fun in the studio" and making the most of each arrangement.

With This Green World, Williams is not only working with her band -- a five-piece ensemble that includes such high-profile players as guitarist Steuart Smith -- but with ace studio help. The songs take on a level of instrumental polish well beyond what’s heard on the coffeehouse level.

"A lot of people are saying, `Oh, we thought you were a singer/songwriter, but since it’s produced this way, I guess you’re pop now,’ " she says, obviously amused by the misconception. "But what if you are a singer/songwriter who wants to really get into some production elements and have some fun? What do you call yourself?"

Williams says the songs on The Green World are "lyric-driven, with unusual subject matter," and she’s right. There aren’t many albums with songs that celebrate the faith and persistence of the Berrigan brothers, or which feature a protagonist who insists "I won’t be your Yoko Ono if you’re not good enough for me."

Clearly, these songs are meant for listening, not just an hour’s worth of aural wallpaper.

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