Annie Williams: This mountain (Single, 2011)

"As as far as job descriptions go, the singer-songwriter is about as specific as “an artist in New York”. Yet Annie Williams embodies all the good qualities of that name, the ones you had to work for at some point in time in order to wear the title among greats like Dylan and Joni.
She crafts perfectly made rock-pop-folk songs, some with a kick, others that really pull at your insides. Based out of Nashville, TN, but born in St. Louis, a young Ms. Williams developed a great love for the west and its land. Eventually she moved to Wyoming and is now living in a camper between there and New Mexico (you can see her photos of the beautiful landscapes on her website). This sense of adventure is a very clear presence in her music: a longing for the land, for home, for sharing stories with strangers – I feel it’s all genuinely there, as with greats like Neko Case and Sharon Van Etten.
Ms. Williams is releasing two EPs (whose cover art I am drooling over), so completely different in tone, but clearly coming from the same spirit. Though it’s certainly enough material for a full-length LP, the two releases really allow the different qualities of her songwriting to standout, as the two singles, “Roll On Hills” and “Midnight Window” show.
In the title track from the “Midnight Window EP” the acoustics are traded for moaning guitars, and I can see Williams playing this tune in some bar in Texas, the crowd drunk off too much Jack and clinging onto every one of her words. I’ll even say the guitars sound sexually frustrated: the call and response of Williams’ vocals with the guitar creates a lovely tension – her voice like a cat call, the guitar like a howling wolf.
From the “This Mountain EP“, the title track is a remarkable feat for a young musician. It’s one of those songs artists can wait entire careers for, but here Ms. Williams makes it career defining from the start. The simplicity of her raw voice, the quiet guitar strumming and string arrangements are powerful accompaniments. This is the song that creates a “eureka!” moment for the audience, understanding what Annie Williams is all about. It’s the reason you’ll get a burst of adrenaline when you see she’s posted tour dates or is releasing another album. It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard all year" (Via: listenbeforeyoubuy.net)

Annie Williams – “This Mountain”-Mp3