R.R.WILLIAMS – Unremarkable Lives (Black Mesa Records BMR085)

Unremarkable LivesThe packaging is rather minimal but that’s about all there is about Unremarkable Lives to complain about. Unless, of course, you’re determined to force R.R.Williams into a pigeonhole. Williams is singer/songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma with a leaning towards the music of the working man – a sort of mid-western Bruce Springsteen. The opening track, ‘Tightrope’, begins with thundering drums and power chords and is, I suppose, about standing firm in the face of adversity. “It’s a long road back to redemption” is a line that leapt out at me immediately. Add a wailing harmonica and we’re into rock’n’roll territory.

In contrast, ‘Photographs’ opens with rich acoustic guitar and is firmly in country/rock country with an implied back-story reminiscent of The Band – photographs in the pages of a family bible suggesting an old log cabin somewhere in open country. Things can seem a bit complicated – R.R.’s real name is Mike – R.R. was his father – but it’s tricky to pin him down under that name. Mike plays all the instruments on Unremarkable Lives, and that’s a lot but any serious biography is hard to come by.

‘The Chase’ is another gentle acoustic guitar track decorated with mournful mouth-harp leading into ‘Tulsa’ – “never been a welcome sight at all” – a country/rock song of hard luck and loneliness and arguably the best song on the album. ‘Storefronts’ is about the changes that happen when we’re not watching but the singer could be the same guy from ‘Tulsa’. ‘Last In Line’ takes us back to rock’n’roll which, although powerful, isn’t over the top.

‘Your Ghost’ lowers the temperature as Williams reminisces about an old love affair using a spiritual metaphor while ‘Slowly Sinking’ finds us back with the lonesome hobo. ‘Unremarkable Lives’ takes us back to the beginning of the record – a song of defiance mixed with pride – we all live unremarkable lives and all we can do is make the most of them. The packaging reflects the record itself – or perhaps vice versa – grey and empty like the existence of its protagonist although Williams’ music is compelling and reveals something new on each playing but on its own terms.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: https://rrwilliams.bandcamp.com/album/unremarkable-lives

‘Tulsa’ – official video:

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