Review / 200 Words Or Less
William DuVall
One Alone

DVL (2019) Kevin Fitzpatrick

William DuVall – One Alone cover artwork
William DuVall – One Alone — DVL, 2019

In the 13 years that William DuVall has fronted Alice In Chains, sharing vocal duties with Jerry Cantrell he has left an indelible mark on the band’s music making AIC a band to still be reckoned with, even 35 years after their inception. Their newest album Rainier Fog being proof positive of the strength of that legacy.

Throughout his career in groups like Neon Christ, No Walls and Comes With The Fall, DuVall has shown range and depth while maintaining a bulletproof swagger that’s hard to ignore.

But with his first solo album One Alone, DuVall manages to replace that swagger with a confident but quiet vulnerability that’s just as hard to ignore. Finding strength in the stillness is no easy feat, but that’s exactly what One Alone manages to accomplish. A collection of love songs, essentially. Love lost, love found, and all the messy bits in between.

There’s something to be said for music that’s stripped down to its essence - in this case a voice, and an acoustic guitar. Free from the typical distractions and embellishments of a studio record, what DuVall gives us with One Alone is an album with 11 variations of the raw truth that’s a true pleasure to hear.

William DuVall – One Alone cover artwork
William DuVall – One Alone — DVL, 2019

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