Single Review: D. Vincent Williams - 'Down By The River'

Texas born D. Vincent Williams has been writing songs in Nashville for over 15 years. A shortlived recording deal with Columbia in the late 90s didn’t work out, but now Bigger Picture Group, his publishing company, have taken him on as an artist in his own right.

Keith Stegall produces with a light hand, giving the pacy track a pleasantly laid back breezy summery feel with solidly country instrumentation which is quite reminiscent of some of what the Zac Brown Band is doing, but also with echoes of 80s groups like Alabama. D. Vincent has a pleasant if not very distinctive voice, which is suited to the unpressured lyric.

The lyric is a relatively undemanding one, inviting a sweetheart to spend the night together in a secluded spot by the river on a balmy summer night. While conventional enough – perhaps verging on cliché with the inevitable truck as the couple’s mode of transport – it is neatly put together, and the attractive melody and arrangement lend it more interest than most songs of its kind. Towards the end it fades into a jam which slightly outstays its welcome, but overall this is a very fresh sounding, attractive record which would be a refreshing addition to the airwaves if program directors were willing to give it a chance.

Grade: B

Listen here.

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