Keller Williams employed the help of
the String Cheese Incident on his eclectic and enchanting
Breathe album. Recorded in just ten days, it's swollen with impeccable musical talent and artistry.
Williams manages to traverse various styles within a single track, while maintaining the same smooth Zen-like vibe regardless of the featured genre. Songs like the
Phish-esque "Stupid Questions" and "Best Feeling" personify his ability to incorporate jazz, folk, reggae, and bluegrass with a Latin jam-band tinge. On "Blatant Ripoff" he uses a mouth fluegel to mimic the sound of a trumpet, which drives the song and replaces any necessity for lyrics. The fluegel makes a return on the reggae-based closer, "Callalloo and Red Snapper." Staying true to his solo roots,
Williams' masterful picking of his ten-string guitar takes center stage on "Brunette" and "Roshambo." Modifying a 12-string guitar down to ten strings allows him to play fierce basslines while strumming stylistic groovy melodies. On "Not of This Earth" he pays homage to one of his greatest influences,
Michael Hedges. While adroitly incorporating
Hedges album titles into the lyrics,
Williams also displays an adeptness on the guitar that is worthy of comparison to his predecessor. While some may prefer his solo work, the accompaniment of
the String Cheese Incident provides a wondrous canvas that elevates the richness of his guitar work and frees him from the confines of looping. ~ Erik Crawford