Sunday ACL Fest Record Reviews
Marlon Williams
(Dead Oceans)
Reviewed by Doug Freeman, Fri., Sept. 30, 2016
Marlon Williams' eponymous solo debut swoons through a versatile landscape of Americana, all the more impressive for the young songwriter's New Zealand roots. Opener "Hello Miss Lonesome" chugs like Marty Robbins on a western trail to the Sixties power-pop of "After All," and Southern gothic "Dark Child" bends an eerily low tenor against a haunting, soaring cover of "I'm Lost Without You." "Lonely Side of Her" and "Silent Passage" tremble high lonesome alongside the stunning take on traditional "When I Was a Young Girl." Americana may find its best representation in the Kiwi's broad reach and inclusive interpretation. (2:15pm, Tito's Handmade Vodka stage)
