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Bottom Line:

This is an album with mass appeal. If you like country, rock, singer/songwriter music, and even pop music you should be pleased with this one. Rachel Williams has come a long way from her debut album and she's only gotten better throughout the years. Buy her album and see for yourself.

It has been four years since Rachel Williams' last album was released and now she is back with a new sixteen-track collection from HER Records.


Back then her music was great but now it is outstanding. She has really outdone herself with this one. There is a heavy singer/songwriter vibe since she wrote or co-wrote twelve of the songs. Some other notable co-writers include Catherine Britt, Karleen Watt, and Rachel Proctor.

In "That's Why I Picked This Guitar," a jealous man decides he will make the woman choose between her guitar or him - and he was taught a lesson when she chose the guitar. She'd leave him all alone at home feeling insecure while she enjoyed the time away. When decision time rolled around, he couldn't compete with the cheap therapy being on stage gave her so he became old news. Sassy song number two is "Firestarter" and there's some edge to it. The man may think he's dealing with a simple schoolgirl, however the joke is on him. She won't just let a man tease her and walk away. She'll finish what he started because "I light a match then fan the flames, watch you burn and then walk away." She's a tough woman.

"How Does It Feel" takes you through all the emotions of a woman who was seemingly dumped for another girl.

To some people she looks like she's doing well, but on the inside she's still hurting. "I can't forgive and forget, but despite that fact I think I'm taking it well," Rachel sings. She wants to know what it feels like to be such a jerk, because that's what he is for cheating. With a similar beat, "Sad Songs" are what the woman used to sing & now she's moving on to make new memories. You can only drown in your sorrows so long before enough is enough. Lines like "I'm so much stronger. Baby I'm no longer holding on, holding on like before" perfectly sum up her sentiments. It's a strong song I could hear being played during a dramatic scene in a television show.

"Something Worth Saving" has an attitude completely different from the previous song. In this one, the woman tells her ex-boyfriend that they should give things another try, because she realizes how much their relationship means to her. "The Only Thing Harder Than Leaving" has some standout dobro sounds if you listen carefully. You might think going home will lift your spirits after a breakup, but nothing is the same when you're depressed. "I'm moving like a stranger through my own past." Another song with standout lyrics is the slow-tempo, "Lean." In it, the woman tells the man not to be afraid of asking for help because she'll hold him & make his life's load a little lighter.

Slow songs can bring out the best (and worst) of an artist's voice depending on how they handle it. I can't tell you how amazing Rachel's voice sounds on "If Nobody Moves." Usually the faster songs tend to be my favorite(s) on an album; not so with this one. The way the lyrics flow so flawlessly and Rachel's voice glides over the notes, you can't ask for anything better. "Kill Me In The Morning" is powerful without being pushy and was written by Rachel, along with Austin Cunningham. Both of these songs (interwined with the mid-tempo and faster songs mentioned above) make for a well-rounded and well-crafted sophomore album from the talented Rachel Williams.

Track List:

1. That's Why I Picked This Guitar
2. How Does It Feel
3. Something Worth Saving
4. The Only Thing Harder Than Leaving
5. Final Goodbye
6. Lonely At The Bottom
7. Sad Songs
8. On My Way To You
9. If Nobody Moves
10. Firestarter
11. Can't See The Train
12. Lean
13. Uphill
14. Kill Me In The Morning
15. Rain On The Windshield
16. World Famous

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