VANDERVEEN,AD - I Was Hank Williams (Sealed) (CD)

Reminiscent of works like John Steinbeck’s ‘Travels With Charlie’ or Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’, the new album ‘I Was Hank Williams’ by songwriter and singer Ad Vanderveen is a personal quest and an adventure. It is a quest for self-knowledge leading to spirituality, and an investigation into the origin of a dream. A dream that is old and has led the writer down a long road of countless songs and many records. It has a strong fascination for the new world, and is anchored in the old one. Remarkable of Vanderveen’s work may be the insights and influences of Eastern philosophy, which he has studied and practised over the years, that shine a special light on different subjects, within a musical context of a distinct Western character. Writing is like breathing for Ad and, although it doesn’t come quite as easy, it is a bare necessity for him, and so is playing. He is undoubtedly one of the most prolific writers in the genre and his work is considered to be of a consistent high level by fans, critics and peers (recently none other than Van Morrison personally invited him to be his opening act). Almost every year a new collection of AV songs in a different sphere and setting presents itself as a CD. This year there’s even two; Where the previous releases, the diptych of ‘Worlds Within’ (2017) and ‘Denver Nevada’ (2018) were characterized by somewhat more extensive production and arrangements than is Vanderveen’s usual MO, for ‘I Was Hank Williams’ there was a more minimal, direct and on the move approach. Voice and guitar, poem and music, remain center stage and keep the listener close to the content of the songs. Around the basics, recorded in lo or hi-fi, charming and effective embellishments of horn and string arrangements, harmony vocals and old rootsy string instruments are weaved throughout the album, as well as ambient soundscapes enhancing the songs’ atmospheres.