Album Review: Make Way for Love by Marlon Williams

Like his friend, compatriot and occasional collaborator Tami Neilson, New Zealand troubadour Williams is a shape-shifting musical chameleon. On previous recordings, he has traversed blues, bluegrass, country, folk and rock terrain with authority, but this eclecticism may have been a career hindrance. This release, however, is far more focused, comprised of songs written in the aftermath of a relationship's end. Within this theme, Williams explores the full gamut of emotions, and that rich and resonant voice is the perfect vehicle.

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It's no secret that great inspiration often comes from heartache, something New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams certainly can attest to, as dozens of songs poured out in the wake of his breakup from fellow musician Aldous Harding. It's Harding's presence on the album--in the form of the gorgeous duet "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore"--that best characterizes its complexity. As Harding and Williams' voices intertwine--their rich, languid tones made all the more heart-wrenching by their undeniable compatibility--Williams breaks his own heart with questions like "What am I gonna do/When you're in trouble/And you don't call out for me?" It's a far cry from the middle-finger anthems and self-empowering sentiments of most of today's breakup oeuvres, with Williams exploring the complicated and mostly introspective waves of guilt and remorse ("I Didn't Make A Plan"), and pining and aching ("Beautiful Dress," "Can I Call You"), that come and go like a cruel tide.

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