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Pete Feenstra chatted to John Williams for his show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio playing tracks from the new album. First broadcast 2 July 2023.
Wulfrun Records [Release date 23.07.23]
When a gamekeeper turns poacher, or in this case a successful A&R man and producer turns singer songwriter, you might expect a ‘kitchen sink and all’ approach.
The John Williams Syndicate ‘Into the Light’ album (a companion to his 2021 ‘Out Of Darkness’) is quite the opposite. It’s a pop musical journey with great songs, bright metaphors, a consistent melodic sensibility and a sense of optimism. The overall feel is reflected in the song titles, several individual lines and the album’s overarching aesthetic complete with artwork and liner notes.
It’s an old school pop album full of substance and framed by a contemporary production which benefits from its composite format to create a reflective feel.
The freshness of the material gives the project its sheer joie de vivre, born of beautifully crafted songs and ornate instrumentation which provides an extra “voice”.
Then there’s a raft of inspired performances glues together via musical subtleties, dovetailed textures, uplifting melodies and repeated hooks.
The whole project is driven by an essential ‘can do’ spirit which bring out the best in the ensemble.
The band’s ‘Syndicate’ moniker offers a big clue as to producer William’s own role. He contents himself with being the lead vocalist on 4 tracks, while his supporting role as a multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist helps fulfil the potential of a number of contrasting song styles, which are well suited to the particular vocalists.
His forte is an attention to detail which enables him to bring his musical vision to life in the manner of a mixing engineer, a role he has occupied on many occasion in his illustrious past.
Aside from his own vocal, lyrical and musical input, his most significant contribution is the way he polishes and presents the material in the manner of a musical journey.
The end result is an album with a clear narrative and an essential flow, which is no small achievement for a project that drips with potential singles.
Williams is also a master of dynamics, both micro (within a song) and macro (in the album sequencing). And it’s the latter function that leads to a priceless moment when the jagged ‘Don’t Go’ – full of adventurous bass, John Moore’s breathy whispered husk, some angular guitar and a feverish ELO string finale – gives way to the Petula Clark version of ‘Luminescent’.
Originally sung by the song’s co-writer Claudia Brücken on the ‘Out Of Darkness’ album, Williams’s arrangement and Clark’s intuitive reading perfectly evoke the meaning of the song title. The opening threaded piano line, electronic arrangement with strings, subtle bv’s and cool dynamics give the song an uplifting sweep. Together with a subsequent poignant drop-down and a defining chorus, these are the kind of building blocks that always interest Williams unerring eye for a great song.
‘Into The Light’ is a pop album with enough musical diversity and stellar guest performances to maintain our interest throughout.
The catchy lead single ‘In The Morning Sun’ is arguably the most sugary track on the album, but it does its job as a gateway to 10 songs that tap into a subconscious mission statement of love, hope and optimism.
You could argue ‘I Started Something’ might have been a stronger contender to be the lead single, if only because it features John’s own inmate vocal style at the centre of some aching harmonies. The combination of whispered vocals over a resonant acoustic guitar, lilting bass and deft strings make for a sumptuous groove.
Slicko DiCaprio’s capricious urban ‘call and response’ and guttural groans provide the perfect foil for a jingle-jangle pop imprint that is never too far away from the surface. The soft pulsing harmonies also draw the listener into an album that places a high value on melodies and hooks.
In sharp contrast there’s the faux sea shanty and uplifting Celtic feel of ‘My Love Is’ on which the repeated lush vocals resemble a mantra that invites the music wash over us.
The same subtle use of vocal repetition brings musical substance to the album closer ‘In My Dreams’. The song is built on a plucked acoustic line, flanked by an unlikely Afro-choral flavour reminiscent of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as Williams references his many musical connections and influences.
The reflective nature of the song perfectly bookends a musical journey that is a love letter to pop music.
Listen to Claudia Brücken’s sotto voice approach on ‘As Long As You Are There For Me’, as her pristine diction and emotive phrasing fills a track that is arguably the best love song on the album.
She equally good on ‘So High So Low’ with the emphasis being on the intimacy of her voice which always sounds as if she’s addressing just you and no one else.
The lyrics match the stellar vocal performance: “I liked your paintings, thought they were fine art. You played a piano specially Mozart,” as the song flows into the simple effective hook.
Williams mellifluous vocal impresses on ‘I Want To Lose Myself In You’, complete with a rustic banjo, ‘call and response’ bv’s, tongue in cheek lyrics and a repeated hook, flanked by catchy percussive handclaps.
The other notable thing about the album is the use of a number of annoyingly familiar musical motifs that recall the likes of Elvis Costello, Blondie in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Nicki Leighton-Thomas returns with a raspy enunciated vocal on ‘You’re My Number 1’. She sounds like a weary Marianne Faithful meets Sparks, as she cleverly uses her voice as an emotive storytelling instrument on some colourful poetic lyrics.
Ultimately the album is a triumph because it successfully finds an equilibrium between the songs, the respective artists and John Williams own role as a catalyst in celebrating pop music in all its glory.
This isn’t so much the stuff of teen angst, as a batch of lovingly crafted songs shaped by the kind of life experiences that encourages us all to metaphorically look into the light and celebrate love. ****
Review by Pete Feenstra
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
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UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.
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14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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