There is no doubt that this series of albums is very much one of my favourites. Launched in 2020, ‘The Magnolia Sessions’ showcases bluegrass, dark country, and folk singer/songwriter acts, recorded live in an intimate outdoor setting by a large magnolia tree at the Anti-Corp/Black Matter Mastering headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, by owner Dan Emery. This time we have Coleman Williams, accompanied by Ethan Salad on guitar and backing vocals and Hunter Mellish on upright bass for the first few songs while the rest is just him and his guitar. The first time I played this album I was staining my deck, and this was the perfect accompaniment with the cicadas providing the backing, and the bluegrass country coming through just right. There is a real honesty here, nowhere to hide, and no studio trickery to drop in and correct mistakes, just musicians sharing their hearts and souls.
Until I started reading about Coleman, I had no idea he came from such rich musical heritage, as his great-grandfather was Hank Williams, his grandfather Hank Williams Jr., and his father Hank Williams III, which is why Coleman has called his group IV And The Strange Band. There have been no poor albums in this series, but there are a few which really do stand out, and this is one of those. Some artists have treated this almost as a studio session, just being recorded outside with no possibilities of overdubs, but Coleman has treated this as a concert and provides the stories behind each song as an introduction. With the insects in the background the day turns to night, and it feels as if we are also there sat around a fire by that magnolia tree, with Coleman in that circle, sharing his tales with us in return for a meal.
It is gentle, reflective, and incredibly compelling as we are taken deep inside his life and his observations on the world. The biggest issue with this is that when it ends it is like awaking from a daze and it takes a few minutes to get back to reality. There is so much pain in his voice, so much deep emotion, which makes this something to be discovered by those who truly want their music to be far removed from the plasticity and autotune which seems to fill the airwaves. This is the perfect antidote to banality and blandness and is a powerful reminder of what music really should be like.
Rating: 9/10
Links:
https://anticorpmusic.com