Two eye-catching titles are a good start before any content of a record is revealed. Ruarri Joseph may be proud to disturb the peace, but those
submerging themselves into the deep canyon of William the Conqueror’s debut
album will not be too perturbed to have theirs disturbed. PROUD DISTURBER OF
THE PEACE is the opening shot of a former signed folk-singer turned full on
band unit and it unravels as a high impact release. It is quite easy to be
caught up in industry mutterings especially when the product is still mainly
kept under wraps. However, there is no denying that William the Conqueror have
firmly delivered with this neatly packaged fully fledged record.
The back-story of bandleader Ruarri Joseph has been widely
documented and in essence, it reveals an artist forever searching that moment
of satisfied integrity. Where the William the Conqueror project leads him only
time will tell, but there is a deep rooted appeal in a collection of tunes fluctuating
between folk rock and its grittier indie cousin. Associations of Americana have
been banded around, yet there is so much classic British distinction to the
sound. This is from an artist who spent his formative years in both Scotland
and New Zealand before eventually finding a secure base in Cornwall. The track ‘Manawatu’ offers a down under experience
and eventually closes an album that tantalises those trying to nail the overall
feel to the sound.
This follows a three pronged beginning where the rhythmic
guitar beats of ‘In My Dreams’ and ‘Tend to the Thorns’, partially in Wedding
Present mode, in addition to the profound chorus on ‘Did You Wrong’ take hold. Any notion of this railroading onto being a
complete hardened rock album evaporates at this point as a more temperate mood
takes hold. The intrinsically messaged ‘Pedestals’
and slow bluesy tones to ‘The Many Faces
of a Good Truth’ make a stern stab at being the record’s highlights from a
personal perspective. These are closely followed by a narrative piece in the
latter stages titled ‘Cold Ontario’
complete with an ear catching fuzzy call and response segment.
Although eventual impact is high, there is a slow burning
element to the record. Ultimately, the tracks achieve the required objective of
getting under your skin, even to the extent of possessing anthem potential. Indeed,
there are so many facets of the ten tracks to discover, that any review can
only be a mere introduction. Whether you view this album as Americana or one of
several stages of clear cut rock, the important thing is that it is one of the
year’s most intriguing and relevant releases.
PROUD DISTURBER OF THE PEACE gets its release via Loose
Music on the day that this review is published and William the Conqueror
significantly move from being an industry murmur to one of significant
recording artist. This album will be judged by a few and enjoyed by many.
Falling into either camp is fine.