Front Porch

Joy Williams continues to assert her voice following the 2014 breakup of her Grammy-winning Americana duo The Civil Wars, and after welcoming a second child. The songs on her sixth solo album (her second since the split) Front Porch reflect tests of faith and lessons learned. Though tunes like “When Does a Heart Move On” and “The Trouble with Wanting” revel in heartache and longing, Williams experiences temptation (“Hotel St. Cecilia”), hometown pride (“No Place Like You”), and gusts of optimism (“Love is always sad when it fades, but glass is better stained anyways,” she muses on the title track). Front Porch’s acoustic country format fits Williams well, while also acknowledging her CCM roots on “Look How Far We’ve Come,” “When Creation Was Young,” and “Preacher’s Daughter.”