Edito de Living WillCelebrating what has come before, what is, and what might lay ahead, Living Will returns Smith to the folk-pop roots that have long-sustained his songwriting. The 13-track CD includes seven never-before recorded original songs; four songs from his first two releases, re-imagined and newly recorded; and two favorite cover songs. The CD features a full range of backing musicians and documents a relaxed and playful energy not fully realized on the first two albums. At times humorous, tongue in cheek, and downright ridiculous, Smith's tunes on Living Will also capture the ache of adolescence, the pain of loss and the many facets of love. Living Will is all about Smith's songwriting and the musical journey that has taken him from student and college performer to teacher, husband, father of three?and performer. Returning listeners will find familiar the acoustic guitar and tenor voice that have drawn comparisons to James Taylor and John Denver. Listeners new to Smith's music will notice songwriting free of cliché, but full of careful observation and honest confession. Smith's songs continue to display his literary sensibility and penchant for irony, and his unassuming musical presence and intimate style welcome all listeners into a carefully crafted musical landscape that balances the subtleties of musical and lyrical detail. When he is not teaching English literature, Smith travels throughout the Northeast's best bookstores, cafes, and acoustic music venues playing his brand of intelligent folk-pop and has opened for nationally acclaimed performer Greg Greenway at the Minstrel Coffeehouse in Morristown, New Jersey. His song "Rye Fields" was a semi-finalist in the First International "Songs Influenced by Literature" contest, and appeared on two Oasis Acoustic samplers. In Their Words... "...James Taylor-like music. Smith's smooth voice glides over acoustic tales in a folk-style that was popular long before he was in high school. His songs tell stories." - The Asbury Park Press "Intelligent folk songs dramaturgically sung. These are well-arranged compositions. William Smith incorporates sporadic literary references in many of his songs, but not with any of the salient pretension found inside the songs of many coffee shop performers. His acoustic guitar is refreshing in its recorded warmth and naturally reverberating tones. -Eric Shea, Listen.com "Contemporary folk music with an emphasis on the basics, acoustic guitar and excellent vocal harmonies... Creatively arranged and well-written songs that shine through with a style of their own. Smith's lyrics refreshingly avoid cliches, ranging in context from introspectively personal and autobiographical to light-hearted and humorous." -The Madison Eagle Lire la suite