William Tyler - "A Portrait of Sarah" at Grimey's, 3/19/2013

Willy T. drops in at Grimey's to share some tunes from his new full-length, Impossible Truth, with a packed house of friends. Here's "A Portrait of Sarah," the love song punctuating the record's end-of-the-world narrative, is dedicated to Tyler's long-time girlfriend. Music starts at 0:45. He brought along three guitars, so I posted clips in which he used each one; the most Takoma-style performance of the show, this track features Tyler's faithful Martin. Tyler is a jaw-dropping solo guitarist, contributor to a slew of great bands like Lambchop and Silver Jews, a venue co-owner and label head, and an all-around nice guy. He also has an uncanny ability to talk about big things in his songs, without using a single word. As he explained in a feature interview with The Nashville Scene's Edd Hurt, the record's themes include the power that we assign to nostalgia, how "The Tyranny of Nostalgia" can have apocalyptic consequences, and the redeeming power of love - all presented in a bemused, self-effacing fashion.