Jess Williamson - “Wind On Tin”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Sharon Van Etten, Faye Webster, Waxahatchee

Jess Williamson’s Sorceress sees the LA-based singer-songwriter with her fullest embrace of alt country traditions, infusing her indie folk songs with slide guitars and down-home rhythms. Instead of taking a revivalist tone, Williamson layers these sounds with modern, almost ghostly flair, mixing bedroom rock melancholy with Americana tones. While the title Sorceress may conjure supernatural thoughts, Williamson’s 2020 record, her fourth, is noticeably grounded both lyrically and musically, a pretty and relatable album stemming from the mature songwriting she makes sound so natural here. (Kevin McStravick) 

2014 Review: Jess Williamson has taken a grand leap forward with this year’s Native State, a collection of melancholy folk songs under the cover of a long, black veil. Williamson has a beautiful tone, rich in depth and ripe with emotion. The low alto of Williamson’s tone is a perfect land to live, moving between a conversational melody to a powerful falsetto on a dime. Musically, Native State is pretty minimal through and through, the plucking of some strings and bass drum rhythms power the majority of these tracks.