Take a kid raised on "Weird" Al Yankovic records, mix in some contemporary lyrics and add a Howie Day-esque approach to doing live shows and you have Keller Williams.
Not really a new musician on the scene, Williams has dropped six albums in a little more than six years and is now on tour for his latest, a record titled Dance, which is actually a remix of his previous album, Laugh.
Williams' CD Laugh is a contemporary disc for those who have grown too old for Yankovic's records, but still want their acoustic guitar to be accompanied by quirky, catchy lyrics, as opposed to angsty Aaron Lewis knockoffs.
Unfortunately for Williams, he is not nearly as clever as Yankovic and lacks the sense to parlay his album into the mainstream consciousness via a parody -- Yankovic's typical radio singles that have always helped him sell albums.
Williams does in fact cover songs and those songs are the strong point of his album. Notably, on Laugh, he covers both Michael Hedges and Ani Difranco, a tough task for any musician. He comes across beautifully on the Hedges tune, "Spring Buds," but strays a bit when it comes to Difranco.
Williams' greatest talent, however, is not his studio musicianship. When it comes to live shows, Williams is literally a one-man show. He uses a special type of looping device, similar to Howie Day's live shows, to create all of his own sounds on his guitars, a bass and a vocal microphone.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The effect is incredible, with one man being responsible for all of the noises that typically take a whole band to produce and Williams' live shows are packed with the energy that one would expect from such an amazing technique.
The CD, however, does not convey this energy very well and the techniques are lost on the casual listener. In addition to the standout cover track, three instrumentals seem the equivalent of rap's "skit tracks" -- essentially, filler that no one cares about.
The lone saving grace of the disc is "One Hit Wonder," which is, remarkably, incredible. Williams rails against the record industry with the tongue-in-cheek humor that Yankovic popularized, and the zeal of Neil Young at a Live Aid concert.
To see Williams perform live would be the true key to learning to appreciate his music. Fortunately for those interested, Williams will be coming through Albuquerque promoting his newest CD, Dance, to perform at the Wool Warehouse on Tuesday, March 4, at 9 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of the show.
