Holly Williams

She’s Hank’s granddaughter, blessed with one of country music’s most famous last names, but she sounds more like a sensitive West Coast singer-songwriter than the third generation of a family of infamous Nashville crazies. Williams has a pleasing conversational tone, a gentle voice that doesn’t call attention to itself, and when it works, it gives an understated power to pop tunes like “Would You Still Have Fallen,” a lush, string-drenched ballad praising the power and futility of love. She also sounds good on folky guitar and vocal showcases like “Between Your Lines,” a wordy exploration of the moods of a reluctant lover and the desperate, bluesy “Nothing More.” It’s obvious Williams is an artist of compassion and insight, but too often the lyrics fall back on sentimental clichés and serviceable, not particularly memorable tunes. A few co-writers or some judicious editing would have lifted this one up a few notches.