David Craven and Jon S Williams met in 1984 in the front room of a mutual friend somewhere in inner northern Melbourne. A familiar story. Maybe slightly less familiar, they also played music together that day. Since then, they’ve played music together in different bands, in different genres, and in different rooms, towns and countries. Their collaboration spans folk, rock, pop, (New Leaves) punk, noise, (City of Cool) and now, an idiosyncratic instrumental mode that draws those styles into a jazz sensibility. They’re prolific. The Craven Williams instrumental phase has produced 3 albums. Each new recording shows a growing confidence, assuredness and integrity of sound. Their new album, We All Came Through, takes that to another level. These guys are in the zone.

At a recent show at Castlemaine’s Northern Arts Hotel, Craven and Williams played many of the songs off the new album. The show was billed as ‘Music for Motion Pictures’, which set up one way to listen to these songs. David Craven (drum set) introduced ‘Atmosphere’ as evoking a sense of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere from space. Craven’s fizzing and flickering work on cymbals and toms definitely projected that movie into my mind. Jon S Williams’ guitar synth effects added to the cinematic mood. Still, while it’s true that the music of David Craven and Jon S Williams evokes the visual, (on ‘Canyon’, for example) for the most part, the sound is the thing. ‘Into the Light’ conjures and plays in a more abstract space as Williams bends and loops an eerie motif on his guitar. ‘Nipaluna’ visits briefly. Craven’s snare and William’s lilting riff float, tethered. ‘Trees sing’ brings some up-tempo blues. ‘New Ride’ is a longer track that works through a number of movements and changes. Live, this song showcases the intimate musical connections between David Craven and Jon S Williams. They’re tight but the playing is open too. They’re tethered, not chained. ‘Golden Hue’ slows things down. Brooding. Sultry. Williams’ finger picking is complemented with rich bass-y chords and strumming. The song, ‘Contemplate’, is its name. Craven’s drums and Williams’ guitar wander, from restless to restful. The song’s title is an address rather than a description. The moves and changes call for attention, and contemplation. It doesn’t demand a decision though. Except, maybe, listen again. It’s different every time.

Over the years I’ve caught some of the different expressions of David Craven and Jon S Williams. I think I remember Williams playing an acoustic through a bass amp one night at the Empress of India. This emphasised the dronal sounds and open tunings of his bluegrass guitar fundamentals. But his sound has always had that dronal thing. It wasn’t just that amp. As City of Cool I saw Craven and Williams go full pelt as a punk band. Exhilarating one- and two-minute songs. No chit chat. No time for breath, but the politics and sense of justice carried through. Now, Williams’ guitar playing weaves in and out of themes, movements and motifs. The drone is still there, as is the occasional power chord. But they sit behind picking that wanders and returns. Williams’ fret work tells the stories. As does David Craven’s drumming. It has evolved from an indestructible straight up and down rock tempo with City of Cool, to beautiful and intricate musicality. The drum set is Craven’s instrument and every part of the set is in play.

David Craven and Jon S Williams have lived a dozen lives each in the worlds of twentieth and twenty-first century music. It shows with We All Came Through.


Terry Eyssens
illegible press