Some call Bill Pillmore’s music “a little country, a little
folk.” It may come out that way, but if you know Bill it is
doubtful any style enters his mind at all when he sets about to
writing a song. He simply sticks with music that sounds good to
his own ear and writes words that fit. That is his greatest
strength. Maybe you can’t be sure where the song fits but you
cannot deny that it is honest.
Bill began performing professionally while a student at Florida
State University. With a few friends, he formed the
singer-songwriter ensemble Cowboy and ultimately recorded for
Phil Walden’s Capricorn Records. In musical history, Cowboy
stands on fertile ground that was quite barren at the time. If
you want to the hear the origins of alt-country, contemporary
folk, Americana, or even southern rock, listen to those early
albums. It’s all there.
Enlisting the aid of his daughter, Jess, as arranger, and
the considerable talents of 23 year old guitarist/ producer Dan
Phelps, Bill has created an album of stunning aural atmosphere
in addition to never failing melody. But it is the songwriting
that stands out. On “Look In, Look out,” Bill has managed to
hold on to the youthful optimism of his Cowboy days, and burnish
it with what only many years of experience can bring. By his
own admission “Coming Back To You” was an unorthodox choice for
a lead-off track. Even with its mellow tempo and confessional
lyrics, this percussion laden track somehow sets the mood
perfectly for the rest of the album. If one considers that a
slow start, it is quickly rectified by the playful rock of “I
Love My Car” and “Le Cliché” and then again by the whirlwind
dynamics of “Fly Away With Me.” “Sundial In The Shade” a song
simply about “time never made” has a nice early ‘70’s
country-rock feel even with the intricate shifts in tempo. The
philosophical lyrics to “Let The Rain Fall Down” could stand 100
listenings. Anyone who has a daughter as young as 1 day or as
old as 99 years will get a tear from “Woman of the World,” and
finally, there’s “Angel’s Wings” which begins as something like
a reasurring song for a child who has lost her favorite
grandparent, but ends as a plea to make the most of life.
This album represents not just the return of an impressive
talent, but the honest thoughts of one who has not let life go
by unnoticed. Hope you enjoy it. |
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