Rising indie-folk artist Luke James Williams has released his second album Limes Hotel.
Opener Saints In The Trees introduces us to Williams’ smooth vocal which has an indie-rock-band front man inflection. The melancholy strings pair beautifully with the guitar strums, framing Williams’ gentle vocal as he sings of eerie goings on which he encountered at Anglesey Abbey.
Seeds possesses minimal percussion, rather the track is built up around the rustle of leaves and twigs, creating an airy soundscape that brings to the imagination an autumnal walk through a forest.
The tempo increases on Strange Things We Are where the heavy drum beat coupled with the chorus “strange things we are, such strange things we are…” gives the track an almost tribal feel. Electric guitars, heavy percussion and a sense of urgency in Williams’ vocal elevate the track as it progresses and builds.
There’s a haunting air about Ends, with its brooding keys and gentle guitar plucks. The mellow strings add an ethereal ambience when they break through the percussion and help drive home the track’s message of life cycles and accepting that when one story ends another is about to begin. “There’s a choice to be made here but one day, you’ll no longer have your say. Cos it all comes around when you’re no longer gaining ground” is an example of the poignant lyrics at play.
Flicker Of Light further showcases Williams’ gift of emotive lyrics, the track being about not being afraid to be unashamedly you and living life the way you choose. The chorus of “Don’t live a life less, don’t be anyone else, don’t be afraid of yourself” is repeated over and over like a mantra.
Knocking For Reasons combines gentle guitar strums with a blazing brass accompaniment. Williams’ vocal gains passion and depth as he leans into the big band sound. The track reaches a crashing crescendo as the trumpets race to the foreground while Williams marches along and sings “If I can convince myself, if I can convince myself, of this, all of the time, I’ll be alright.”
The lyrics to Village Green conjure up images of tragedy, loss and heartbreak, juxtaposed against a back drop of a village green which traditionally is a place for a community to come together, thrive and celebrate. This is followed by Ready which is another stripped back, melancholy ode where Williams sings about not knowing how you can ever be ready for a family member to leave this plane of existence. “This song is about all the people I’ve lost and those I will inevitably lose at some point.”
The guitar strums and electronic pulses ebb throughout Milk & Medicine, where Williams’ vocal remains steady while the accompaniment seems always on the verge of bubbling up to a crescendo. The chorus is another mantra-like offering which allows Williams’ passion to build and grow.
Full Moon opens with powerful guitar strums which add urgency as we jump straight into the story behind the track. The opener of “On a night like tonight it feels like all that’s between death and life is a faint line” sets the scene and lends a dark air to proceedings. The fast-paced beat with guitars overlayed pushes the story forward at a racing pace and the veil of darkness continues as we reach the chorus of “Green eyes will follow you down, be stealing your crown when no one else is around.” The themes of greed and unrelenting desire in the lyrics are prominent and given a sinister twist when mirrored in the deep, almost twisted-sounding synths that break through the unrelenting beat. The track could arguably be a modern retelling of an old fable expressing the dangers of gluttony and selfishness
Limes Hotel comes to a close with Hollows And Branches which is a beautiful ode to a friend who instilled in Williams a love of nature. The track’s another example of Williams’ gift for poetic lyricism: “You told me rich isn’t happy and sad isn’t poor. Love’s one of few things worth fighting for.” The minimal accompaniment allows the lyrics to shine through and the theme of embracing nature and the uncertainty that comes with the future. The line “I don’t know where I’m heading but I hope the waters aren’t this rough again” would resonate with many listeners who may be at a crossroads in life and as the percussion kicks in there’s a feeling of euphoria.
When speaking of Limes Hotel, Williams said “These songs have lived in my head for a long time, so I can’t wait to set them loose in the world for people to hear, interact with, and make their own. Especially at the moment, I hope the rawness of these songs acts as a bit of a salve for what’s going on in the world.”
Luke James Williams’ debut EP Drove (2018) received support from BBC Radio 6 Music and track Still In Bed received airplay from Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq and Tom Ravenscroft. His debut album Our Blood Is Red was released in 2022 and was named one of Bandcamp’s New & Notable releases. Williams has supported Thea Gilmore, Mark Chadwick, Charlie Dore and Megson and embarked on his first UK tour in autumn of 2022.
Limes Hotel is available to stream now. Find out more about Luke James Williams here and have a listen to Limes Hotel below.
Dates for his May-July UK tour are below:
Wednesday 6th May — The Harrison, London
Friday 8th May — Mary Street Live, Sheffield
Thursday 14th May — LTB Showrooms, Coventry
Friday 15th May — Wax and Beans, Bury
Friday 12th June — Junction J3, Cambridge
Thursday 23rd July — South Mill Arts, Bishops Stortford
Album Review: Luke James Williams – Limes Hotel
