by Dominic Acito (@mycamgrlromance)
Once, at a Thurston Moore Group concert, an audience member exclaimed between songs “Sounds great, sounds really together guys!” to which Moore gave a perplexed look. It did feel like a backhanded compliment; the sort of thing a mother would say about her child’s music, but he did have a point; it was remarkable how truly ‘together’ they sounded.
It’s rare to hear that exact musical chemistry come off on a recording. It’s usually the result of months of rehearsal and touring, but the most recent album from Sweet Williams, What’s Wrong With You, captures that exact sensation. Even the short annotation at the bottom of their Bandcamp page promises that this album will feel exactly like a concert if you simply add “drinking too much, sleeping in your clothes, not showering”. It’s an album that brims with grit and a liveliness that does indeed duplicate the chemistry of a band in their peak performance.
It’s not all that surprising given that Sweet Williams’ Thomas House enlisted the help of the expert members of Picore, another musical project of his. House is a musician who’s creative drive leads him to mount many diverse musical projects. Even against this portfolio, Sweet Williams occupies a unique space, taking influence from sludge, noise rock and following in the tradition of bands like Unwound and Lungfish. Sweet Williams have found a sweet spot. Though it’s tempting at times to compare them to one band or another (like I am doing), it’s clear that What’s Wrong With You defies any attempts at labelling this band. It would be a futile exercise as Sweet Williams have clearly carved out its own sound. This latest album is even a departure from 2020’s That’s What You Hit, while it’s in the same spirit, that album sounded much more like a solo endeavor as House accompanied himself with the help of an 808 drum machine.
It’s difficult to pinpoint why the music of Sweet Williams is so compelling. Again, on their Bandcamp page they have included a quote from John Hillcock (BBC 6 Music) who said "It's the ugliness of this that makes it beautiful to me". It’s the delicate moments when it moves into dissonance that make it feel so alive. Where many records sound like they were recorded in near laboratory conditions, What’s Wrong With You has the authenticity of a recording in a garage or living room.
What’s Wrong With You is immediately engaging. The legendary Sweet Williams guitar tone hooks you into any song instantly with only one, possibly dissonant, chord. The album begins with “Dead Singer” a song with light hypnotic vocals that erupt into infectious guitar grooves. It’s tempting to call Sweet Williams a guitar band but with songs like “Stopper,” “Slide Right Off,” and “Woods Demand,” the mastery of Sweet Williams makes itself known.
What’s Wrong with You is a unique release from a group that is continually making interesting music. It’s an exciting prospect to see how Sweet Williams continues to evolve despite the limitations imposed in the last couple of years, including lineup changes, House’s recent relocation to Spain and a global pandemic. If you haven’t taken the time to listen to Sweet Williams, well, what’s wrong with you?