Joel Willes

At this point in 2020, we all need the perfect salve to a wounded world. With his new record, Ambition And Glory, Joel Willes does his best to deliver. “Whiskey And Weed,” Willes sings, “To cover the mess,” which seems to be the perfect remedy. Willes keeps the vocals on this record just distant enough to allow his unholy guitar to growl. He keeps the same instrumental and lyrical intensity on the tracks “Bloody Plague,” “Life On The Edge,” “Push Back” and “Scratchin.” Willes brings a dark fuzz to the track “Scratchin” that sounds like a radio station not quite centered on the dial. The sound comes from out of nowhere and sizzles like it’s electric, but it also sounds like it’s coming from the same guitar.

You almost need a seat belt with this record—just as Willes brings in the devil, Willes also brings in his inner hippie. The album is partly built with flower child-platitudes like: “Walls may work / But that don’t make them right” (Crossing Over), and “Who can break free and make a change” (Push Back). Willes also fills the record with instrumentals and long guitar breaks in songs that start slow and build to a Pete Townshend–type intensity. It all seems to work and balance out quite nicely.

The center of this album is the title track. The song ties together the duality of the album. “No soul but a lovely Schell”, Willes sings, “Maybe the devil / Or maybe some God / Got no time to tremble / Gotta move on / And on / And on / Let’s move on!” This is perfect advice for this trying time. Maybe Joel Willes is right—we may all need “Whiskey and weed to cover the mess.” This record should be experienced live. RSVP 2021. Fingers crossed. –Russ Holsten - Slug Magazine

alt Lake singer-songwriter Joel Willes’ new album, No Standards, certainly does not live up to the title. In fact, I believe it raises the standard pretty high. It’s an interesting album, not like much I have ever listened to. It’s difficult to place my finger on why, but the combination of upbeat twang in the guitar and Willes’ haunting vocals contrast in a way that drew me in and held my generally wandering attention for close to an hour.

The opening track, “OHM,” is a great example of the unique sound Willes creates. His guitar playing is stellar; it feels like he’s jamming with a friend he’s known forever, then his lyrics creep in. His use of effects pedals eerily push the notion that I should have been considering something life altering while listening to it.

Throughout the album, it feels as though Willes never puts the guitar down. His paces change, the mood changes, but I felt as though I was being led on a journey and there was no need to rest. There are distortion-filled instrumental legs of the trip (“Unrestrained” and “Black Spring”) that exist before an anthem full of life’s frantic pieces pulls you in another direction.

One song I really fell into was “Dare to Survive.” This one is fantastic, the peak of the album for me. It builds up slowly, with the artist strumming heavily on the strings. Then the vocals drop, right at the front of the line—present, palpable and almost tangible, like you could reach out and touch them. Willes completes the adventure with “MMXX,” a solid track with rumbling distortion that never detracts from the serious nature of the finger blistering guitar play. It is an intense song that builds, like the entire album, to a fantastic climax that begged me to start again at the beginning.
Mr. Willes’ songs on No Standards belong in so many different playlists. His music seems like it has been fit together, grabbing chunks of influence from various generations and genres. He could be a troubadour or a bard. He could be a folk singer or a singing preacher, or a harbinger of something to come. It wouldn’t matter; people would listen and people should listen. –Billy Swartzfager - SLUG Magazine