From the moment of its first play you instantly feel that the music of Will Overman is something to latch on to and you are willing him to achieve. The good news is that THE WINEMAKER'S DAUGHTER supremely builds on this early promise and firmly stamps an imprint of A-grade Americana on your turntable or more versatile listening device. Hailing from Charlottesville Virginia, Overman possesses a vocal style to own the sentiment of his songs that are as intimate and sincere as you are likely to hear from an expressive singer-songwriter. These are deeply personal songs that resonate with a tensile strength.
A handful of the nine tracks forming the full release have been strategically released in the run up to the formal album launch, and like the whole purpose of the LP format the entirety are best savoured in that single sitting. By tapping into Overman's mind you join him on an emotive journey of chasing dreams, reflecting fondly and ultimately celebrating what you have got. This is passionate storytelling of the highest calibre and representative of what is so captivating of the country/Americana songwriting genre.
They say don't judge a book by its cover, but this album has the perfect image greeting you before you even delve into its contents. A solitary person and let's pretend the sun is rising not setting says a lot of about what Overman is pursuing in these songs. The winemaker's daughter may or not be his El Dorado, but listen to the album's standout track 'Living Wage' and you can experience a shared gratitude.
From an instrumental perspective Overman knows what sounds are the perfect accompaniment to his songs, so expect plenty of acoustic guitar, harmonica, banjo and occasional shimmering keys to provide the backdrop, alongside moments when a fuller more produced sound kicks in. However it is the lived-in voice and compelling songs that haul this project from the pile into the elite.
Outside the aforementioned standout track, 'Elwood' is the most impactful number that springs into life midway through propelling Overman from a bar hopping troubadour to a festival headliner. In 'Traveler's Promise' you are thrown back into a 'lights down - spotlight on the performer' moment when the hairs on your arm are prone to rise. The line 'drink Buckfast in Belfast' catches the ear to take the theme a long way from Virginia, but then again this is a traveler's song. A track that matures with each play is 'Little Things', where once again a fuller sound is in operation, and the song takes the mantle of a country roller with ear worm tendencies.
Like so many albums of this ilk, the closing track is a mellow effort, with 'Miss California' fulfilling the role perfectly here. This beautifully curated song paradoxically pens the line 'city of angels, city of devils' as we are ushered out the door in a state of contentment. At the other end of the spectrum 'Bad Apartment' is an effective scene setter with a slice of good honest nostalgia tracing a journey back to its roots where getting by was an achievement.
'Something to Hold' and 'Marine Street' are amongst the pre-released tracks, The former adopts a romantic stance, while the latter is straight out of the folk playbook where acoustic guitar and harmonica give the song a sparser more basic edge. 'The Winemaker's Daughter' sits proudly in the number two slot and uses banjo effectively to convey the message of chasing what you really want.
Among this melange of meaningful musings, Will Overman triumphs in spilling his thoughts and curating a near flawless album full of candidly honest and effortlessly presented songs. By twisting in elements of country, folk and singer-songwriter rock in places, THE WINEMAKER'S DAUGHTER is the ideal tonic to those turning to inspirational songwriting to help forge a brighter future You find yourself willing on Will Overman to achieve and can share in the success when he does.
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