Joy Williams released the song, “No Place Like You” from her new solo album, Front Porch set to release on May 3 via Sensibility/Thirty Tigers. The album was produced by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids and engineered by Matt Ross-Spang. Front Porch features 12 new songs and represents a new chapter in Williams’ career.
Williams voice is soft and reassuring for the weary soul. The lyrics lift you up, “There’s no place like you. I found what I’m looking for. There’s no need to run anymore. Honey, it’s true. There ain’t nothing I can do. Cuz, there’s no place like you.” One fan commented, “Finally this song is released. This is the best song from the new album!”
Williams recorded the album in Nashville during the pregnancy of her second child. She said, “There is an energy that is very creative in having a baby. It gives a sense of urgency on top of all the creative energy. Cellularly, your body is experiencing something really different. Everything you are feeling is elevated. And you have a time-stamped sense of urgency.”
The number four is lucky for Williams who has four Grammy Awards, four solo albums and four EPs. Williams has received praise by NPR Music, “Williams takes on this material without shirking its heaviness, but her gift for melodies that rise up like warm winds brings a climate of grace to even the most difficult subject matter.” Rolling Stone also gave her accolades, “As usual, her voice stills the spotlight, with everything building toward Williams’ ringing, crystal-clear glory note in each chorus.”
Regarding the new album, Williams commented: “So much of this is about coming home. Whether to a physical place or to yourself. The lines on my face, I can see them more clearly now. But a lot of them are laugh lines. This record feels like breathing more deeply into who I am. Come what may.” She recently had to cancel the remaining dates of her tour and made an official announcement on her Instagram stating it was a personal matter.
In 2008, Williams attended a writing camp in Nashville, where she met John Paul White. They formed the folk rock duo The Civil Wars in 2009 and released their breakthrough album, Barton Hollow in 2011. The album sold more than 650,000 copies in the U.S. White and Williams won four Grammy Awards as The Civil Wars.
Front Porch Track List
1. Canary
2. Front Porch
3. When Does a Heart Move On
4. All I Need
5. The Trouble With Wanting
6. No Place Like You
7. One and Only
8. When Creation Was Young
9. Preacher’s Daughter
10. Hotel St. Cecilia
11. Be With You
12. Look How Far We’ve Come