Customer Reviews

Wings

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Will Kimbrough is a Nashville cat who's not as well-known as most of the artists for whom he has played an integral role as sideman, songwriter, and producer - Jimmy Buffett, Rodney Crowell, and Todd Snider, to name a few. But the artist who shares front man duties with Tommy Womack in the roots-rocking DADDY is also an estimable talent in his own right, as he shows on his fifth solo set.

WINGS is an album whose loose theme - the push and pull on a musician who is also a family man - could produce the worst kind of singer-songwriter solipsism. But Kimbrough avoids that trap. From the unabashedly uplifting folk of the title song (written with Buffett) to the lazy J.J. Cale-style groove of "It Ain't Cool" (written with Snider) and the luscious, horn-kissed soul of "Open to Love," the Alabama native presents a collection whose emotional richness is enhanced by its well-crafted musical mix - and the presence of such female singers as Jonell Mosser, Lisa Oliver Gray, and Dawn Kinnard.
-- Nick Cristiano

I got into Will's music through Jimmy Buffett. Having listened to both Wings and his work with Daddy, Will Kimbrough has the ability to connect to the listener on multiple levels. "Three Angels" goes beyond a well-crafted song but, also, conveys the feelings of many of us who are both husbands and fathers. It's nice that songs can be enjoyed and have deeper meanings. The cd does not have a bad tune on it and, if this is my introduction to the music of Will Kimbrough, I will certainly pick up more of his cds (actually, I have more on order). Thanks, Will-I was starting to worry about whether song craftsmanship died with Dan Fogelberg (I stopped worrying).

This Nashville singer-songwriter doesn't fall neatly into any one category. His songs are melodic and lyrical, layered and richly textured. There's a strong country-rock/folk-rock flavour, but he's adaptable enough to mine jazz grooves, Memphis soul, blues, and other rootsy styles.
Wings, Kimbrough's fifth solo recording, is part introspective, part retrospective, with loosely linked themes wrung from the musings of a man who has reached middle age (he turned 46 this year) and is taking stock. Bookended by a pair of beginning-of-the-day tracks, each bursting with optimism, Kimbrough adds another batch of well-crafted uplifting, heartfelt songs to his already considerable catalog.