Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams

All This Time

Royal Potato Family

The husband-and-wife duo of Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams return with their fourth album, and All This Time just feels different than the others. It’s as if the duo is no longer in the shadow of Levon Helm or Bob Dylan, two artists that especially Campbell has been linked to for most of his career. It took some time perhaps to break away from that sideman, or in Teresa’s case, harmony singer role. Yes, they introduced their partnership on the self-titled 2015 album, and again on Contraband Love (2017), and Live at Levon’s (2023). Listeners will feel the change. It’s more relaxed, fun-loving, and seemingly effortless compared to earlier material.

Beyond that though, there’s a sense of triumph, and a celebratory, romantic nod to their partnership. It’s one of survival. It’s downright effusive too. It has its roots not only in the initial stages of their relationship but most directly the pandemic. Before Teresa left for remote Tennessee to nurse her father through his last illness, Larry came down with a double-barreled blast of Covid, and Teresa was quarantined. Isolated in Woodstock before treatments had been developed, Larry struggled but pulled through, surely assisted by his wife’s comfort via the many phone calls.

They still live in Woodstock so the ties to Levon Helm’s band and the Midnight Rambles are still intact with Grammy winner and regular Justin Guip on drums (also recorded and mixed) and Brian Mitchell on accordion and organ. The late Levon appears on an older track, “That’s All It Took.” Little Feat’s Bill Payne plays piano and organ on select tracks and Brandon Morrison holds down the bass and background vocals on many tracks. Campbell produced the effort and true to his multi-instrumental talents plays guitars, mandolin, pedal steel, and bass (curiously, no fiddle). Campbell penned seven of the ten with the others coming from George Jones, Julie Miller, and Jesse Colin Young.

Opener “Desert Island Dreams” begins rambunctiously with Campbell’s jangling guitar. but Williams’ escapism lyrics defy the revved-up accompaniment urging slowing down and breathing deep and “Just you and me/Our own desert island dreaming.” Their joy in singing together is exhilarating and sets the tone for the album.  The autobiographical sizzling title track begins with Campbell’s mandolin, soon joined by Payne’s swirling B3 backing a soaring Campbell electric guitar solo. Williams traces the path of their relationship from beginning as friends to present day in her vocal lead. The lilting “Ride With Me” is yet another blissful toast to romance.  Campbell takes the lead vocal on the infectiously riffing and twangy “The Way You Make Me Feel” with lyrical inspiration from Johnny and June and a guitar riff that came from Lyndon Baines of the Dixie Hummingbirds. [Check out the 2003 Hummingbirds album Diamond Jubilation that featured Campbell, Levon helm, and Garth Hudson]. The skip-along groove and the unison vocals make “I Think About You” especially endearing in a singalong way.

The second half commences with the George Jones chestnut “That’s All It Took,” with Teresa singing the highly melodic but overly sappy lyrics. Yet, the song succeeds on its positively indelible chorus – “No one can take your place/I tell my friends I’m happy/But they read me like a book/And when today I heard them say/Your name—That’s all it took.”  The slow waltzing western tune about two lovers, seemingly drawn from a novel, “A Little Better,” may well be the strongest vocal Campbell has ever put on record, Mitchell giving it genuine dancehall feel with his accordion.

Campbell has long been friends with Buddy and Julie Miller, so it is not all surprising to hear he and Teresa cover one of Julie’s songs. Yet, this is a most recent one as “I Love You” appeared on the Millers’ 2023 In the Throes. The sentiment with such lines as “I’d walk across the wire/I’s even go thru the fire” fit perfectly in the theme of the record. The celebration peaks with the vigorous, stomping rock n roll and the sharing of verses in “We Done Earned It,’ along with Campbell’s fiery telecaster.  Jesse Colin Young’s “Pretty and the Fair” is the perfect ride-off-in-the-sunset song, floating along beautifully with pedal steel, organ, and the couple’s fair in blissful harmony.

This is easily the best Campbell & Williams record. The exuberant joy sustains throughout to the point of being impossibly contagious. If you’re not singing along with them, you’re at least surely smiling.

• Jim Hynes

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