Songs similar but insightful
WITH only shuffle room downstairs and a nearly full house upstairs, Marlon Williams’ success on the Dunedin Town Hall stage seemed assured.
His awardwinning style is that of country, folk, balladeer, crooner, and sometime rock star and he uses his very accomplished backing band to amplify those effects. His voice is a fine tenor, versatile and agile; he displays a fine sense of melody and harmony and has a wonderful stage presence — slightly deferential but a professional performer and fledgling showman. Yet only last year, as Williams pointed out, he was entertaining his following at the rather smaller venue of Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers.
While Williams works to compass different moods, there is a sameness to each song, though his lyrics show a significant depth of insight.
He opened his half of the concert with Come to Me, sounding like a highly accessible cross between Roy Orbison and Brian Ferry. Beautiful Dress was thoughtful with echoes of Aldous Harding through its delivery; Can I Call You skirted around issues of jealousy; Fire of Love was predictably fiery; Party Boy was boisterous; Carried Away was brilliant, as was Vampire. Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore
was very heartfelt. The final song, Make Way For Love, the title track of his new album, is an anthem to moving on.
Williams’ performance was preceded by Julia Deans with vocal backup from Cecilia Church. The audience was only too ready to give her their full attention. Her songs have good lyrics, her rhythms and harmonies are inventive, simple and highly affective. There is no artifice. Standouts from Deans included I’m Sorry, Lonely Heart
and Walking in the Sun.