Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Are You Ready For The Times? No, not the ones we have dug in against for what seems more than a lifetime, the one in which has divided opinion, set friend against friend, family member against loved ones, and created a disparity of feeling that has threatened to overspill in other sectors of life; no the times we need to be prepared for are the ones in which the emotions are guided by home truths and the deep persuasions of understanding which more than suggest that we can do better, they demand that our repertoire be expanded, that we do more than just have one arrow in our quiver to fire.
It is in art in all its forms that prepares us for the ability to craft responses that are suitable expressions of joy and inspiration, the understanding that foresight is not inalienable right but a necessity of planning coupled with good fortune to be in the right place at the right moment; and if the times are truly embraced, re-joined in collaboration with someone who will bring out the best in you as you showcase their upmost class in return.
It is in the embrace of good fortune and mutual respect of both men that Brooks Williams and Aaron Catlow are on your side when it comes to preparing the way of the time ahead, and in their third collaboration inside a couple of years, both musicians have hit upon a golden thread of belief that sees them continue their vibrant and sheer joy of performing and in which Ready For The Times is a clear line of progression and tremendous work ethic makes for a collection of songs recorded live in the studio without an ounce of trickery to flummox the ears.
If the previous two albums were great art, this album verges on the response of being in a gallery, an entire wall taking the space afforded the picture painted, and it is one that has been studiously informed, taking its truth from various masters to whom the pair look to for their own guidance and charming musical brush strokes.
From tracks such as Ola Bella Reed and Dave Reed’s I’ve Endured, Rab Noakes’ Jackson Greyhound, Ernie Carpenter’s Elk River Blues, Oscar Levant, Billy Rose, and Mort Dixon’s If You Want The Rainbow, Pink Anderson’s CC&O and Brooks Williams’ own Love Too Soon and the bonus track of Night Shift, the sense of scale that contains these gems is enormous and satisfying.
The question is not designed to trip you up, it is a genuine query from a heart of love; Ready For The Times, well you need to be, because Brooks Williams and Aaron Catlow have helped you pack the bag, they have measured and plotted the route, and now they wish to take you on a journey, and a wonderful one at that.
Ian D. Hall