Jess Williamson – 'A Mile South of Heaven' review: Classic country with Shooter Jennings
The Texas songwriter turns to traditional country. Paste gives it a B+, The Line of Best Fit 7/10 – though it would like a faster pace.
Photo: Paul Hudson from United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Jess Williamson · youtube.com
Single: Hum of the City
Jess Williamson released 'A Mile South of Heaven', her first album on New West Records, on October 9. It was produced by Shooter Jennings and recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood. The 12 songs revolve around life between Los Angeles and her home state of Texas; opener 'Goodbye to All That' draws on Joan Didion's essay of the same name. An official video for 'Hum of the City' was released recently.
Paste (B+) hears a more confident songwriter who takes risks within classic country instrumentation of fiddle, banjo and pedal steel. It singles out 'Tracking the Tropics', 'Hum of the City', 'Texas Time' and Williamson's vocal on 'Legends Die'.
The Line of Best Fit (7/10) is more reserved: her voice and Jennings' band carry the record, but the relentlessly slow pace asks a lot of patience and gives back less than its predecessor, 'Time Ain't Accidental'. On Album of the Year, the critics' average after five reviews stands at 75 out of 100.