Meadowlands - Oak Clusters

by Tom Brumpton

So-so acoustic outing from young Northerner

"There are certain qualities that surround William Anderson’s solo effort Meadowlands that makes the listener want to adore what the 20-year old blues man is up to."

There are certain qualities that surround William Anderson’s solo effort Meadowlands (away from his day job in Dartz) that makes the listener want to adore what the 20-year old blues man is up to. His lyrics are poignant and moving and he clearly possess some fine talent, but sadly ‘Oak Clusters’ holds nothing that could be warranted as interesting or enjoyable.

Opting for the cheap and tacky acoustic sound that many artists of his ilk seem to utilise, tracks such as ‘The Flying Colours and ‘Heaven. Homeland. Harvest’ are fine musically, a tad dull, but otherwise fine. But it’s Anderson’s voice that doesn’t do the songs any justice, as his nasal voice and distinctly English accent, that every singer/songwriter seems to use, negates any beauty or warmth that this album could possibly hold.

While the upbeat feel of tracks such as ‘Metal And Glass’ and the jazz elements of ‘I Never Left Baltimore City’ are solid compositions, they remain at times tedious and bland in comparison to the Yorkshire native’s contemporaries and idols. While this young man’s sincerity cannot be questioned, he has much to learn if he hopes to outshine those around him, as we all know how ravenous the industry can be, he will need to work harder in the future to be deemed a force to be reckoned with.

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