My Better Self

Amazon.com
As the folk singer-songwriter continues to incorporate more pop elements, Dar Williams conjures a whole coming-of-age era in an album that suggests a 1970s soundtrack suffused with 1960s idealism. My Better Self's opening track, "Teen for God," evokes the bouncy innocence of Bible camp and the bittersweet ironies of innocence lost. "Echoes" sounds like it could have inspired a singalong around that campfire, a secular hymn for the global village about the big impact of small actions. On Williams's revival of Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," Marshall Crenshaw provides vocal counterpoint and stinging guitar, while she teams with Ani DiFranco for a disembodied duet on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." With its intimations of immortality, "Blue Light of the Flame" features a shimmering keyboard generating space-age atmospherics reminiscent of early David Bowie. "So Close to My Heart" and "The Hudson" (with harmonies from Patty Larkin) return Williams's music to its folk base, but much of the rest suggests rites of passage, at a time when all sorts of "better selves" seem open to possibility, with the radio always on. --Don McLeese

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My Better Self,Dar Williams,Razor & Tie,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Folk,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter,United States of America

My Better Self

Average customer rating:

Meet the new Dar, same as the old Dar...Kind of!
Not her best
Recharging her batteries
Are we talking about the same album?
Really good stuff, right up there with Mortal City

My Better Self
Dar Williams
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Beauty of the Rain
Where You Live
Mortal City
Cry Cry Cry
The Honesty Room

ASIN: B000A2H5UQ
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Teen For God
Miss You Till I Meet You
Echoes
Blue Light Of The Flame
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Two Sides Of The River
Empire
Comfortably Numb
So Close To My Heart
Beautiful Enemy
Liar
You Rise And Meet The Day
The Hudson

Amazon.com

As the folk singer-songwriter continues to incorporate more pop elements, Dar Williams conjures a whole coming-of-age era in an album that suggests a 1970s soundtrack suffused with 1960s idealism. My Better Self's opening track, "Teen for God," evokes the bouncy innocence of Bible camp and the bittersweet ironies of innocence lost. "Echoes" sounds like it could have inspired a singalong around that campfire, a secular hymn for the global village about the big impact of small actions. On Williams's revival of Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," Marshall Crenshaw provides vocal counterpoint and stinging guitar, while she teams with Ani DiFranco for a disembodied duet on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." With its intimations of immortality, "Blue Light of the Flame" features a shimmering keyboard generating space-age atmospherics reminiscent of early David Bowie. "So Close to My Heart" and "The Hudson" (with harmonies from Patty Larkin) return Williams's music to its folk base, but much of the rest suggests rites of passage, at a time when all sorts of "better selves" seem open to possibility, with the radio always on. --Don McLeese

More Dar Williams

Mortal City

The Green World

The Beauty of the Rain

Customer Reviews:

Meet the new Dar, same as the old Dar...Kind of! .......2007-04-26

My daughter introduced me to Dar Williams music, and ever since then I've gallen in love with her songwriting. She is a fine guitarist, decent singer, and absolutely mesmerizing in concert - especially solo.
On 'My Better Self', she comes out with some of her best work as well as some of her most uninspired. My favorite is the bluesy 'Two sides of the River', a song that draws me in with its simple but profound lyrics and fine guitar work.
She shows off a couple of political numbers in 'My Beautiful Enemy' and especially on 'Empire', where she masters such lyrics as 'Some will say that we force our words/We find that incredulously churlish". It doesn't matter which side of the aisle you're on, you gotta love this kind of poetry!
Dar also reminds us that she can still tell a story on 'Liar', a well-spun tale about being from the wrong side of the tracks. And 'Teen for God' is a both whimsical and semi-spiritual portrait of Christian youth camp and how we often get jaded in our passions as we grow.
She duets with Ani Di Franco on a decent cover version of 'Comfortably Numb', maintaining the moodiness of the original while interpreting it, not trying to reinvent it.
Less successful is her cover of Neil Young's 'Everybody knows this is Nowhere', and 'The Hudson'. Neither track really jumps out with any passion, and I often find my attention diverted easily when either of those two tracks are playing.
Dar's musical horizons continue to expand with each new release, and this CD is no exception. While much of her older stuff is definitely superior, this CD will please a good portion of her fans.

Not her best.......2007-01-14

Dar's latest CD is "My Better Self." It's a bit of a disappointment. The best song is "Teen for God," which is a typical upbeat, funny, catchy song. The rest is kinda depressing. I hope her next album has more upbeat songs.

Recharging her batteries.......2006-12-18

For those who grew weary of the didactic Williams, here's the (almost) pure pop Williams. The sound is pushed to the fore: glossy and agreeable, burnished and warm.

Alas, it doesn't distract from the album's primary weakness - a noticable slump in songwriting. "Teen For God" delivers, no doubt, and is a certain standout musically and lyrically.

However, the remaining high-profile tunes ("Echoes," "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and "Comfortably Numb") are covers, demonstrating a reduction in Williams' former prowess.

No doubt, the covers sound lovely - but one does question the point in her choice of the old PF radio mainstay. (I'd rather hear Williams check in with something a bit more left field - like Grace Slick's "Lather.")

(Williams is presently reworking classic Dead material, so it seems her batteries are still not charged.) She'll (eventually) be back, better than ever, though; Williams is the real deal, and it shows even on a 'transitional' album.

Are we talking about the same album?.......2006-10-18

I went to Borders ten minutes before opening the day this album was released. Listening to the CD beforehand seemed like a waste of time because I love (LOVE) Dar Williams and was certain I would love this album. It stayed in my car's player for about 4 weeks before I and my fellow Dar-loving roommate admitted the sad truth: we hated (HATED) the CD. I like the lyrics for the most part, but she didn't pull the songs together this time. I don't know what sound she was going for with songs like, "Liar" and "Two sides of the River", but it doesn't work for me, and doesn't work with her voice and style in my opinion. I like the tune of "So Close to my Heart," but the repetition of the phrase 'close to my heart' immediately gets (and stays) really annoying. To be fair, I am a fan of Dar's raw stuff - Dar and guitar, and minimalist everything else and feel that to mix the honesty of her voice and lyrics with mainstream pop-culture-esque accompaniment seems vulgar. Listen before you buy - this certainly is a departure from Dar's norm; and honestly, are you all serious about loving this album so much?

Really good stuff, right up there with Mortal City.......2006-10-09

As I already said this Dar release is right on par with Mortal City. Although there will probbaly never be another "February", "The Ocean" or "Iowa" this record has some great songs of its own. The opening "Teen for God" is a biting satire against the hypocrisy of the Religious Right. The sad "I'll Miss You Till I Meet You" channels the best shades of Sarah McLachlan. The gentle "Echoes", "The Hudson" and "You Rise and Meet the Day" are definitely worth a listen. Certainly not to be missed is the excellent cover of the Pink Floyd song "Comfortably Numb" which Dar manages to put her unique spin on while still keeping it recognizable unlike a lot of covers these days. You should definitely buy this if you are a Dar fan. If you aren't you will probably still like it but I would suggest you start with Out There Live, since it offers a good overview of her career up to Before the Rain. Happy listening!