Yasmin Williams’ new album is full of beautiful and meditative tracks that evoke both pastoral serenity and inner city tension. Williams has always proven herself to be talented and innovative but through this second album, she has shown her ability to craft enchanting and original compositions that offer a refreshing voice in the world of fingerstyle guitar music.
Known for her unique style of playing with the guitar on her lap, Williams has also incorporated other instruments into her performances in the past, such as the Kalimba, tap shoes and a cello bow. On this album, she also learnt how to play the West African Kora. This use of instrumentation, along with her open-ended compositions, certainly gives the album a sound reminiscent of the legendary Toumani Diabaté, or perhaps ambient pioneer Laraaji. Although at the same time, there is a close relationship with the Takoma school of guitar, echoing the work of John Fahey, or contemporary artists like Mary Lattimore and Marisa Anderson, with whom she has contributed with in the past.
The album is of two halves, offering peaceful and serene mediations initially before interrupting this mood with the swift and incisive percussiveness in “Swift Breeze,” the fifth track on the album. That track marks the movement towards exploring themes of unrest and tension in the latter half. As a black artist in a genre dominated by white men, Williams wanted the album to represent her identity, especially during this tumultuous period of race relations in America. In “Adrift,” the call and response between Williams’ guitar and Taryn Wood’s cello evokes the clashes between police and protestors, or the will of the people against the powers that be. The penultimate and title track’s use of the kora also allows Williams to explore her heritage, creating an extra emphasis on the introspective quality of her compositions. Williams is also joined on this piece by Amadou Kouyate, offering their 150th generation of West African Kouyate family drumming tradition.
Yasmin Williams has certainly succeeded with Urban Driftwood. It is a testament to how accomplished she has become as an artist, offering a record that feels more focused and intricate than her previous offerings. Williams has undeniably found her voice within the guitar soli sphere, and it seems she will surely continue to push the boundaries of the genre in the future.
Listen and purchase Urban Driftwood here:
Noise Compendium 