I participated in the Joy Williams VENUS album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own, and I have used affiliate links in this post. #JoyWilliams #O2O
Every summer needs it’s own soundtrack. The one that, years from now when you hear a song, you can remember just what you were doing, who you were with, and the emotions that come with that.
Joy Williams (formerly of The Civil Wars) solo album VENUS is a perfect example of a soundtrack for your summer. Released June 30, 2015 the hauntingly beautiful album captivates not only former fans of The Civil Wars, but those who love the pure sound of an honest heart being poured out through music.
VENUS is available on Amazon, and you can stream for free if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
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On her new solo album, VENUS, she changes all that. Joy was intent to tell a more honest, human story of one woman’s journey out of darkness.
Over 11 unstintingly honest songs, she unabashedly recounts what occurred in her life over the past two and a half years. She doesn’t try to defend or explain, but instead tells a simple straightforward story of events, sparing no one, especially herself.
You might call it a coming-of-age album, but it is so much more than that. It shows how one woman has come to live her truth — the good, the bad, the petulant, the honorable — and in the end, shows all of us how to live our own.
I’ve always been a fan of The Civil Wars, and was heartbroken when the duo split.
Before I listened to VENUS I wasn’t sure if I was more nervous that it wouldn’t sound like the previous music she made that I loved, or that it would and it would be a reminder of what once was. And in all honestly, it’s a little of both. Joy Williams has a voice like no other, and her sound rings true through these new songs. But this album holds a uniqueness that draws it away from her former sound as well.
I always tend to gravitate to the slower ballads on any album, or songs with lyrics that tell a story I can relate to, and my favorites on this one are One Day I Will and Until the Levee.
Honestly, it’s hard to listen to VENUS and not speculate if some of the music is in response to the band break up, but Joy Williams has been specific that this is a break through album, and that the idea of going solo was always something they had talked about.
It’s a brave step for Joy Williams, and I’m definitely looking forward to more solo music from her.
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