The last time Dar Williams released a studio album, Barack Obama was president. In the six years since that release, this country has experienced some changes. And so have we all. Back then we weren’t anxious all the time. I don’t recall checking the news as compulsively as I do these days. The pandemic and wildfires and increasing gun violence and domestic terrorism and the brazenly corrupt politicians of the Republican Party have caused many of us to take stock, reevaluate priorities, and take a closer look at what it is that we want to do with our lives, and at how much control we really have. It seems that Dar Williams is reflecting that in some of her new material, not so much the troubles, which she doesn’t directly address, but the way in which we go on amid them, the way we approach a life that isn’t exactly how we’d like it to be. There is hope within these songs. There is both a sense of empowerment, and also an acceptance. Joining Dar Williams on I’ll Meet You Here are Steuart Smith on guitar and mandolin, Stewart Lerman on guitar, Ben Butler on guitar, Bryn Roberts on organ and piano, Paul Socolow on bass, and Doug Yowell on drums, along with special guests on certain tracks.
The album opens with “Time, Be My Friend,” in which she has a conversation with Time itself, asking for its friendship, its kindness, while admitting that she herself has not been kind to time. Who hasn’t been thinking of time lately? I suspect many of us have had our own conversations with Time, made our own pleadings, as it races along with nary a thought of our needs. It’s a beautiful song, and what really strikes me about it is the way this song itself seems to act as a friend to the listener. There is something comforting in its sound, something friendly. Check out these lyrics: “‘Cause when I thought that I was alone/You snapped your fingers and a tree came into bloom/And the sun came by to fill my room, oh time/You will never tell me something that has not happened yet/And you will never make a promise, but I can get just what I’ll get/And you will never say you love me.” And at the end, a certain hope is present in the line “But let’s see what’s round the bend.” In that line, there is the making of a companion, if not friend, of Time. This song also provides the album with its title in the line “Time, meet me here, I’ll meet you here.” On this track, Denny McDermott is on drums, Gail Ann Dorsey is on bass and backing vocals, and Larry Campbell is on guitar and pedal steel.
Steve Elson joins Dar on saxophone for “You Give It All Away,” and that instrument makes its mark right at the beginning, setting a very different tone from the first track, giving it a more soulful sound and a lively vibe. And though there is a full band sound, Dar’s vocals have a more intimate feel here. I particularly love these lines: “You’re not alone when you say it’s going fast now/The silver hope kaleidoscope is spinning us away/But find the means and find the ends/Find a reason, just pretend.” That “whoa” part has an uplifting effect. That’s followed by “Let The Wind Blow,” in which Dar sings “We heard the distant cry, and we saw the cloud of smoke/But by then it was too late, we couldn’t turn around/So here comes the fire/We were coughing as we ran, trees fell in the path/But then we saw the rocks, and we climbed ‘til we were free/Let the wind blow, you pulled me up into your arms.” I like Bryn Roberts’ work on keys. Then the opening line of “Magical Thinking” is “Living in daydreams, yeah, it’s not a way to live.” Something about this song immediately pulls me in. Partly it’s that opening line, partly it is her delivery. This is Dar doing what she does best, a song that is somewhat sad, yet beautiful, hopeful and very human. It is certainly one of the album’s best tracks. These lines stand out for me: “Driving at midnight, it’s when the dreaming starts again/It all comes true if the light turns before I count to ten/And if I do a few things better now.” We all play these games, don’t we? Seeing if the universe is in line with our desires, and testing the amount of control we have, though deep down we know we have none. (Maybe my expectations are greater, for I count only to five.)
I grew up in a small town, and songs about small towns tend to speak to me at some gut level. Like a lot of small towns, the town I grew up in was not all that diverse. Such is the case with the town described in Dar Williams’ “Little Town,” a song that is sung from the perspective of someone who is at first reluctant to see things change, but who eventually comes around. It’s a touching and beautiful song, in part due to Dave Eggar’s presence on cello, an instrument that never fails to move me, but largely because of the emotional tale it tells. Erik Della Penna plays electric guitar on this track. “Little Town” is followed by “Berkeley,” which opens with the line “Let us begin,” putting us into a rather serious frame of mind. This is a song of two times, the Berkeley of years ago, and the Berkeley of the present. Really, it’s not only two times, but two places, for all the changes Berkeley has gone through. There is the question of whether those who were present for the earlier Berkeley have changed along with the place. I love the lines “And Berkeley, still pagan/Still angry at Reagan,” maybe because I still hate Reagan. He is, in no small measure, responsible for where we are these days politically, having paved the way for Trump (both even used the same campaign slogan). Before Reagan did a foul job as president, he did a foul job as governor of California, at one point sending the authorities into the People’s Park in Berkeley to keep people from gathering and planting trees there. Police ended up opening fire on protestors, injuring dozens and killing one. That was Reagan’s doing, and that’s what the line refers to. This track features a gorgeous string section. Dave Eggar is on cello, Entcho Todorov is on viola, and David Mansfield is on violin.
“Today And Every Day” has a wonderfully cheerful sound and vibe, with a positive message. “I know I’m going to find a way/I know I’m going to light the way/‘Cause if I’m ever going to make it, then I’ve got to say/‘I can save the world today and every day.’” Sometimes it all feels overwhelming and terrifying. This song combats those feelings and notions with a bright energy and a sense of our own power. That’s followed by “I Never Knew,” a more somber song, featuring Dave Eggar again on cello. Then “Sullivan Lane” has a wonderful energy during its chorus. I love those backing vocals by The Sweet Remains (Rich Price, Greg Naughton and Brian Chartrand). Plus, this one features some really nice work by Steuart Smith on mandolin. Dar concludes this album with “You’re Aging Well,” a song that she originally included on The Honesty Room back in 1993, and later recorded with Joan Baez (that version is on Ring Them Bells). This seems like a perfect time to revisit this song. On this beautiful rendition, her vocals are supported by Bryn Roberts on piano.
CD Track List
- Time, Be My Friend
- You Give It All Away
- Let The Wind Blow
- Magical Thinking
- Little Town
- Berkeley
- Today And Every Day
- I Never Knew
- Sullivan Lane
- You’re Aging Well
I’ll Meet You Here is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2021 on Renew Records.
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