New record Wings is a less-is-more triumph.
by Tommy Womack
Two decades ago, Will Kimbrough first captivated me - the old-fashioned way too, from hearing him on the radio. The song was “Typical World," a delicious late ‘80s jangle pop record if ever there was one. I hadn’t met him yet. Well, maybe once in Alabama, when Will and the Bushmen were playing the back outdoor stage of a club and Government Cheese was playing inside. Who knew a few years would pass and then I’d be in a band with him (the bis-quits), and 20-odd years later I’d be in a band with him again now (Daddy).
An uncommonly good guitarist even back in olden times, Will has since metamorphosed into the Alien, as fans call him. On thousands of stages, Will has amazed audiences with his scary fret board mastery (hence the nickname) and his impassioned and versatile voice. A fantastically natural and fluid musician, Will has gone on to become not just a marvelous songwriter with many eminently listenable solo CDs to his credit, but also one of the most in-demand session players in Nashville, a sought-out producer, and a road gig mainstay for the likes of Rodney Crowell, Todd Snider, and Jimmy Buffett.
Will now brings us his fifth solo record Wings, an understated, acoustic-based reflection on love and life. He continues the streamlining of his sound that began with his last release EP in 2008, coloring things (as he did then) with trace elements: some banjo here, a taste of slide guitar there, some female harmony, a tremolo six-string bass or distant keyboard, even horns once.
By turns Appalachian and Memphis soulful, the record reveals its gifts over time. The title track and “Three Angels” soar, abetted by Will’s diffident finger picking and the sweet harmonies of Lisa Oliver Gray from my own solo band (the best damn singer in Nashville and Will you can’t have her, she’s mine) “It Ain’t Cool” carries the warm wood-burning aroma of all the J.J. Cale listening Will’s been doing. Stalwarts in Will’s touring band Paul Griffith (another member of Daddy) and Tim Marks (often a member of Daddy) hold down the drums and bass respectively, taking gentle rein on the easygoing vibe of this record.
Will Kimbrough’s defining achievement as a musician is that he’s capable of playing literally anything on the guitar, but has always had the good sense not to – on his records at least. Rocks beat scissors, paper beats rock, and good songs beat hot-dogging.
Wings drops on February 23rd. For more information on how to purchase this puppy go to Will's Reverb Nation page, where you can listen to several of the songs, or directly to his website, where you can pre-order Wings and other cool things too. And of course there will be copies available via iTunes, Amazon, emusic, CD Baby and other online outlets.
I’m not sure sure an Aerosmith pun is the logical way to end this piece. But I’m going to go for it because Will deserves my best and most daring homage to gonzo prose, so here it is…
Will Kimbrough...Don’t you think it’s time to...Get Your “Wings?"
-Tommy
(The author is an incredibly interesting person currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.)