Chelsea Williams
According to her Web information, this singer/songwriter is on the street corners and selling CDs by the thousands. She works the streets, in a good way, of Los Angeles and Santa Monica, using her crystal-clear voice and controlled guitar to craft such songs as "Wait." This tune includes some fine harmony work, in an achingly slow way.
"Huckleberry Sky" from the CD Decoration Isle (2008) is another slow, moving song with interesting harmony. The tune stands on its melody and music, rather than lyrics. This brings to mind some of the folk singers of the 50s and 60s, but stops short of their powerful social messages.
"Undecided" (Chelsea Williams 2006) is a sweet love song with a interesting string treatment. I’d opt for "Benjie is a Hippie" from the same collection, the story of a person who only eats beans and rice. Nice.
Her influences range from Neil Young and James Taylor to Billie Holiday and Fiona Apple. There is a bit of Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell in there as well.
Some have apparently compared her sound to the style of James Taylor and Fiona Apple, while others cite Rilo Kiley, Sheryl Crow and Jewel. A first listen will convince the listener that all of these comparisons are apt.
Tags: Chelsea Williams, music, indie, independent music, indie music
May 13th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I heard of Chelsea Williams before and was able to grab a hold of one of her cds on my last trip to Los Angeles. A diamond in the rough I say, especially since I can’t say that I don’t enjoy any of the songs I’ve heard from her. It’s a pity that she isn’t more popular than she deserves, but let’s hope that someone will come across the potential of this gal. Personally, Benji is a Hippie is my fav