Rich Williams – Ordinary Person

In 2019, The Art of the Empty Room was one of my cross-over favorites. This year, Rich Williams is back with a brand new EP, his second collaboration with Spongetone Jamie Hoover. Ordinary Person is another hook filled trip down roots pop lane from the velvet throated Charlotte-an.

Drawing deeply from “life experiences, books, media and an uninhibited imagination”, Rich takes you through his own unique museum of the mind, but this time your tour guide has the kind of voice that’ll captivate you for the entire 7 songs. Hell – you won’t even mind perusing the gift shop at the end.

The uplifting title track is immediately relatable. With William’s smooth delivery and Hoover’s brilliant production (the horns and guitars are perfect!), this one’s a winner. “Rooftop in L.A.” is a favorite as well with it’s Bert Bacharach 60’s vibe and wonderful backing vocals from Elena Rogers, a tour de force in her own right.

All seven tracks are worth the price of admission but “She Looks Familiar” is the front runner for me. It’s the perfect single – lyrically relatable and catchy as Hell with a chorus that you can’t help but sing along to.

When I asked Rich about the new EP, he was effusive in his “gratitude to Jamie Hoover for his amazing musicianship and top shelf production” and to Elena Rogers “for the unexpected gift of her backing vocals”. It’s no wonder. They help to bring his already top notch songs to a new level.

Ordinary Person is a must for anyone who digs singer-songwriter stuff delivered with a golden touch. You can get Ordinary Person in digital form at Rich’s Bandcamp page, iTunes, or Amazon. Physical product will soon be available through Bandcamp as well.