William Elliott Whitmore - Song of the Blackbird
10.11.2006
On the surface, "Song of the Blackbird" is a chronicle of the seasons interspersed with musings on nature and rural life. It quickly becomes apparent that the changing weather is more than just the clouds rolling in. It's the rain that comes when a life is lost, it's the cold chill of an unrequited love, and those first warm rays when a person moves on. Those rays may be warming Whitmore's face, but his feet are still in the mud.
"Song of the Blackbird" couples William's amazing, gravely voice (which even after seeing him live I still can't believe comes out of a man in his late 20s) with his banjo plucking and occasionally a full band. He sings songs reminiscent of a past era, but with themes and emotions that are universal. The sound of "The Chariot" would be right at home on the porch of R.L. Burnside, but the loss it expresses still retains a timeless quality, while "Lee County Flood" shows a rare glimpse of optimism with the realization that after the rain comes re-growth. The album embodies a merging of classic folk tradition with modern influences and universal plight. If Tom Waits was thrown into a Steinbeck story about the dust bowl, this is the album that would result.
Tour Dates
MP3 of "The Chariot" from Southern Records
