Keller Williams: Bass

Keller Williams
Sci Fidelity
2011-12-13

On the 17th album by Virginia’s own eccentric oddball, Keller Williams, he decides to try something different. For the first time ever, there is absolutely no guitar heard at all; all Keller plays is bass with a keyboardist and drummer backing him up. From the very first track, the album is a much mellower affair than Keller’s previous records. It’s surprising to see him so mellow, but after years of humorous tracks and epic-length live jams, it’s rewarding to hear something different. With the longest song topping out at just short of seven minutes, it’s the change of pace that makes this album more interesting for the uninitiated. Scattered amongst the other tracks, a Beck cover and a superb version of Morphine’s “Buena” really show what Keller’s capabilities. In the end, some people may say this is just another Keller album but they’re not listening close enough.

RATING 7 / 10