Glen Campbell’s cover of Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” is a longtime staple of classic country radio. I remember hearing it often as a child. Campbell scored a huge hit with the song during the late 1970s and its lingering appeal continues well into the 21st century. It hits as a pleasant surprise that Williamson Branch, one of the bluegrass world’s finest vocal and musical ensembles, would recast the song in an Americana vein.
URL: https://www.williamsonbranch.com/
They went a step further. Bluegrass legend Carl Jackson, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist par excellence, played banjo on the Campbell version and reprises that role for the Williamson Branch cover. His playing contributions enliven an already outstanding performance with dazzling musicianship that fits in lockstep with Williamson Branch’s intentions. They delivered one of the most memorable covers in recent memory and, without question, one of the best bluegrass tracks of 2024.
I’m especially taken with their effortless command of harmony vocals. Lead singer Melody Williamson Keyes is a decorated vocalist, the winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2020 Momentum Vocalist of the Year, and she garners the lion’s share of my attention. However, she’s ably supported by the singing and musical talents of family members such as her parents Kevin and Debbie, as well as sisters Kadence Williamson Reynolds, and Caroline Williamson. The family boasts an undefinable chemistry that you cannot teach.
It helps each second of “Southern Nights” sparkle. Their love for the song comes through. They avoid the pitfalls of slavishly aping the Campbell version, though they do embrace the upbeat tempo of his performance. Fans of his version will enjoy the instant familiarity. More discerning listeners will relish how Williamson Branch adeptly balances producing a faithful take on the song while investing it with their character. Their vocal excellence far surpasses anything the Campbell version produced and leaves an indelible mark on the performance.
The instrumental performances are superb. Jackson is the wild card who sends “Southern Nights” into the stratosphere, and his playing is never showy. The other instrumental touches round out the arrangement with equal parts feel and precision. Williamson Branch brings an intense focus to their work without allowing it to drag down their performances. You won’t hear an ounce of aural fat slowing up the song’s satisfying effects.
It’s good to know that this song still has a place in the world. Williamson Branch is doing a yeoman’s labor calling attention to this now perhaps neglected classic as Toussaint’s influence and impact grow more diffuse in the years following his recent death. The ease with which it metamorphosizes to the bluegrass idiom testifies to the song’s elasticity. Williamson Branch deserves ample credit for that. They shepherd its transformation with a keen ear and effortless skill.
It should win them a bevy of new fans and please their existing ones. Few bands are as well-rounded, regardless of style. It’s ten years since Williamson Branch first emerged on the scene, and their version of “Southern Skies” shows no signs that they are slowing down.
Garth Thomas