Front Porch

by Joy Williams

Overview

By calling her second album since the dissolution of the Civil Wars The Front Porch, Joy Williams acknowledges she may have drifted a little too far into modernity on Venus, the album that marked her solo secular debut. The phrase "The Front Porch" suggests warmth and intimacy redolent of home, so it's no surprise that the album finds Williams reconnecting with the folk music that brought her fame and acclaim as half of the Civil Wars. Working with producer Kenneth Pattengale, who is best known as part of the Milk Carton Kids, Williams strips away any contemporary affectations, keeping the focus directly on the songs and her plaintive, powerful voice. There are hints of faith scattered throughout the tales of heartbreak and character sketches, lending the album the slightest hint of spiritual gravity. Williams often sounds delicate but never brittle, which is why she's so convincing in such an unadorned setting. It can feel as if she's whispering secrets, but just when that gentleness threatens to get lulling, she scales great heights with elegance. These cannily deployed skills give The Front Porch the faintest hit of grit yet there's also a sense of fragility to the record; it's music that treasures the bittersweet melancholy of a moment that seems gone even as it's being lived. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/03/2019
Label:	Sensibility
UPC:	0644216262311
Rank:	62858

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joy Williams   Primary Artist,Vocals
Caitlin Canty   Vocals
Anthony da Costa   Guitar,Vocals
Scott Mulvahill   Bass
John Mailander   Violin,Mandolin
Kenneth Pattengale   Dobro,Guitar,Vocals,Mandolin,Guitar (Nylon String)

Technical Credits

Natalie Hemby   Composer
Cason Cooley   Composer
Paul Moak   Composer
Jon Randall   Composer
Liz Rose   Composer
Joy Williams   Composer
Richard Dodd   Mastering
Richie Biggs   Mixing
Caitlyn Smith   Composer
Angelo Petraglia   Composer
Thad Cockrell   Composer
Matt Morris   Composer
Trent Dabbs   Composer
Andy Barron   Photography
Nate Yetton   A&R,Executive Producer
Matt Ross-Spang   Engineer
Emily Shackleton   Composer
Dustin Richardson   Assistant Engineer
Kenneth Pattengale   Producer
Michelle Freetly   Studio Assistant
Brett Davis   Studio Assistant
Emily Algar   A&R