Dave's Music #107 Tiffany Williams - All Those Days of Drinking Dust
Sometimes an artist just grabs you lyrically, spiritually, and musically; to a point where you just have to stop and listen. Tiffany Williams was that for me on the recent September Bandcamp Friday. While a follower Audra pointed me in her direction, I initially bought an EP that had one of my favorite songs (Never Leave Harlan Alive) which is another coal song sung as a duet with Darrel Scott. I knew I'd be back in the future. Bandcamp Friday I tend to go crazy and buy a lot of music while they waive their fees to the artists. 26 artist and 171 songs later, I found I was stopping and listening to Tiffany's release. Right then I decided, it's next.
Tiffany Williams is the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of coal miners and in a show of appreciation to that fact and also to stop herself feeling guilty about introducing herself as such in live shows she wrote a song called ‘All Those Days Of Drinking Dust’.
To quote again:
Her natural tone has great warmth and depth while the song itself is a groove-laden tribute to the hard work and dedication of a coal miner who gave his all to provide for his family. It also relays the story of someone questioning their faith in the wake of a mining tragedy.
The music is fantastic and the clarity of the production is excellent with each instrument given plenty of space to breath within the overall mix.
Truly exactly what I love that sets good music apart, clarity of lyrics and space that the instruments can breathe without sounding over produced.
1) All Those Days of Drinking Dust
Yes the somber start and the admission of being a coal miner's daughter. Prayers and leaving on her mind shows up in Tiffany's writing as well as her lyrics.
She left a little at a time. The way the starlings do, lifting from a line off into nowhere, one by one until they’re gone completely.
These lines from her Murmuration post in her website.
If you read this post earlier, we now have a whole bunch of videos added, and I'm pretty committed to doing that for releases. I'd love to be a spot where you can immerse yourself into a release. This was added Nov 17th.
2) Carletta
The haunting line "is that what you want me to do Carletta?"... here's where I would plea for her to come back and post the lyrics to the song. Bandcamp works great for that, and reading along is a joy to me at times.
Update May 1st, 2024: I try to keep a watch out for new videos from past reviews; here's a great live one released just today.
3) Harder Heart
A slow steady beat as a walk up an Appalachian trail as you rethink your life and wishing you didn't care as much for people.
This great version of this song was added to this review on Nov. 10th, 2022... I love when an artist adds a video that makes the review posts even more special; because Music Has No Expiration Date... if you are reading this a year from now for the first time, it's still a very special album.
4) Know Your Worth
It's nice Tiffany picks up the pace as she let's people know that she doesn't care what you might think; she's a confident lady and is moving forward. My thought would be to join her, she's going places.
UPDATE new video within the past year, I think she's just trying to get me to book her to the house concert series.
5) The Sea
Here's a probably nice place to talk about the instrumentalists who are both excellent and steeped in the area's landscape, per Tiffany's website:
Williams and Lundy recruited an eclectic band of pickers from the Commonwealth that add energy and nuance to each track. Virtuoso cellist Ben Sollee lends a ghostly vibe to “The Sea,” while J. Tom Hnatow adds bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and steel to other tracks throughout. There’s percussion from Tripp Bratton; contributions on keys, acoustic, and electric guitars from Justin Craig; fiddle stylings from Ellie Miller; and Taylor Shuck on banjo. Kentucky novelist Silas House adds vocals to a lively duet. Lundy not only produced and contributed keys but also engineered and mixed the recording.
A very fun lyric video..
6) Wanted It To Be
Oh my have we all been there... if not for real, sometimes silently in our heart; then we remember we need to stop wishing for something we can't have. Relationships can suck, but this song does a good job keeping it positive and moving forward.
Video Added Nov. 17th...
7) When I Come Back Around
Silas House is typically known for his writing but does a fine job on this duet and it's classic country song and could have been a hit in the 50's as well as a great listen today. Good music has no expiration date, it just comes back around to a new set of ears every few years.
8) Don't Give a Damn
This should be a hit on every country radio station; "it's hard living in a world that don't give a damn"
9) No Bottom
The gentle hand picked electric guitar with the pleading pedal steel, sets up Tiffany's confirmation that all the stuff in our life can not bottom out, it can get worse.
10 The Waiting
Tiffany leaves us with hope, we'll wait with you and love the mountains as much as your music.
