Listening to "The Beauty of the Rain" for the first time is in a way like coming home: there is a familiarity that is comforting about Dar Williams' new album. Like her four previous albums, this one is filled with a joyful quality as well as sweet melodies that are gentle and steely at the same time.
A concern for everyday matters which might be regarded as small miracles is again apparent: "And so I asked the light of the day, what's this rush for heaven?/Then I saw a bird fly away, and I could not ask again," are lyrics from the third track, "I Saw A Bird Fly Away."
"The Beauty of the Rain" is like an old friend, but this is not to say that it fails to distinguish itself from its predecessors; on the contrary, its tone is more understated and dreamy.
"It's hard to get away from writing my songs sullen-teenager style" reads a footnote to the song "Closer to Me," and yet this album feels the farthest from "the artist's self-preoccupation," which Williams herself will mention tongue-in-cheek when speaking of her music. ("Well, this song is about me. Again" is how, more than once, I have heard her introduce a song.)
A distinctive quality of "The Beauty of the Rain" is its celebration of change. More than half of the songs, in fact, allude directly to the beauty that is found within change, while the remaining ones seem to acknowledge this theme in tone if not in words.
"It's not an end, it's just a start/ 'Cause life is such a changing art," Williams sings on "The World's Not Falling Apart." And the album art also appears to be a meditation on the nature of change. Several small borders depict leaves and water in different forms and stages. Red, yellow, brown and green leaves, swirling water, beads of water and snow -- these images also celebrate life in all its forms.
It is difficult to ignore the fact that Williams has recently relocated from Massachusetts to New York City and that "The Beauty of the Rain" is her first album since 9/11. The emphasis on rejuvenation and letting go seems like a statement that life will continue it in spite of feelings to the contrary that may surface from time to time.
In light of the turbulent political events of the past few years, which often seem to deny the meaningfulness of each person, lyrics such as, "The world's not falling apart because of me/ You say the world has lost its love/I say embrace what it's made of," seem especially significant as a testament to the importance of the individual.
The sound quality of this album, which often has a country feel with the addition of banjo, harmonica and mandolin, serves as a complement to the recognition of the spirit of the individual. The use of a piano in several songs is also a welcome addition, lending them a quiet elegance.
A full slate of guest performances adds richness and interest to the album: vocals by roots-country star Alison Krauss and folk singer Cliff Eberhardt, Bela Fleck on banjo, Blues Traveler's John Popper on harmonica and backing vocals, Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard on bass, John Medeski on keyboards, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and String Cheese Incident's Michael Kang on fiddle. Some of these performances are among the highlights of the album.
With its determined faith in persistence and life cycles, this album seems to search for themes that are both bigger and more humble at the same time than on Williams' previous albums. While often rooted in the artist's experiences, at times the songs soar to universal places.
Nearly every song in this beautiful collection is noteworthy, and although it's not an easy first listen, it becomes more lovely and interesting with each successive hearing. "Closer to Me" is a highlight for its swirling rounds and the strength it gains from Bela Fleck's banjo, as is "Your Fire Your Soul" for its fervor and "I Saw a Bird Fly Away" for its joyful vocals.
"The Beauty of the Rain" isn't brilliant or wildly distinctive; it's quietly important, which is refreshing in its own way.
