William Tyler announces new album, Goes West, shares “Fail Safe”: Stream

[News]

Former Lambchop and Silver Jews member William Tyler will soon return with a new solo album. Dubbed Goes West, it’s due to drop next year on January 25th through Merge Records.

The 10-track effort follows 2016’s Modern Country. As its title suggests, the acclaimed guitarist drew inspiration from the West Coast and his move from Tennessee to California. M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger elaborated further in a bio he penned for Tyler’s new album:

“William and I bonded early in our relationship over Barry Hannah, a hellraising writer from Mississippi who practically reinvented the way that words could be assembled on a page. Like Hannah, William Tyler knows the South—as a crucible of American histories and cultures, an entity capable of expansive beauty and incomprehensible violence, often in the same beat—as his native place, the place that holds him and that he runs from. In the music of William Tyler, the South is not apart from America; the South is America condensed. And like Hannah—and this part is important—William moved to California, where Goes West was written. We don’t know how long William will stay—Hannah lasted just a couple of years, writing in the employ of director Robert Altman—but the change of scenery seems to suit him.”

Joining Tyler in the studio were guitarists Meg Duffy and Bill Frisell, bassist Brad Cook, keyboardist James Wallace, and drummer Griffin Goldsmith. Tucker Martine served as engineer as well as co-producer alongside Cook.

As a first listen of Goes West, Tyler has shared the wondrous and glimmering “Fail Safe”. Check it out below.

Goes West Artwork:

Goes West Tracklist:
01. Alpine Star
02. Fail Safe
03. Not in Our Stars
04. Call Me When I’m Breathing Again
05. Eventual Surrender
06. Rebecca
07. Venus in Aquarius
08. Virginia Is Our Lovers
09. Man in a Hurry
10. Our Lady of the Desert

Tyler is currently on the road with Ty Segall. More dates are expected to be announced.

William Tyler 2018 Tour Dates:
11/06 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground #
11/07 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall #
11/08 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom #
11/09 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw #

# = w/ Ty Segall

Read M.C. Taylor’s full bio below:

William and I bonded early in our relationship over Barry Hannah, a hellraising writer from Mississippi who practically reinvented the way that words could be assembled on a page. Like Hannah, William Tyler knows the South—as a crucible of American histories and cultures, an entity capable of expansive beauty and incomprehensible violence, often in the same beat—as his native place, the place that holds him and that he runs from. In the music of William Tyler, the South is not apart from America; the South is America condensed. And like Hannah—and this part is important—William moved to California, where Goes West was written. We don’t know how long William will stay—Hannah lasted just a couple of years, writing in the employ of director Robert Altman—but the change of scenery seems to suit him.

Goes West marks a sort of narrowing of focus for William’s music; it sounds as though he found a way to point himself directly towards the rich and bittersweet emotional center of his music without being distracted by side trips. Perhaps this is down to the fact that William only plays acoustic guitar on the album, a clear and conscious decision considering that he is one of Nashville’s great electric guitarists. The band that performs Goes West alongside William—including guitarists Meg Duffy and Bill Frisell, bassist and producer Brad Cook, keyboardist James Wallace, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, and engineer Tucker Martine—is the best and most sympathetic group of players that William could have assembled to play these songs.

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