Review: Garret T. Willie – Bill’s Cafe
Garret T. Willie – Bill’s Cafe
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital / Label: Gulf Coast Records
Release: 2026
Text: Tom Wouters
Garret T. Willie is a 25 year old Canadian bluesrock singer/guitarist, who just recorded his second album, called ‘Bill’s Cafe’ after his granddad’s pool hall cafe in Alert Bay, British Columbia. Willie went to Nahville to record the album under the guidance of producer Tom Hambridge (Kingfish, Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi) and recorded the songs between late nights, long drives and Nashville-sessions and it captures the restless spirit of a young artist carrying old soul and blues and rock traditions into the future. Across the album, Willie threads tales of whiskey-fueled nights, missed chances, stubborn resilience, and the freedom that only comes with chasing music town to town.
From the beginning, the opening track Hypnotist, the album consists of banging loud bluesrock where Willie’s guitar often sounds like AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. He features on slide guitar in Devil Doll and easily switches to deep blues (High Beam Blues) or country blues (Young Country Boy) or Johnny Cash C&W (Golden Highway), ending this performance with the heavy bluesrock of I’m Late.
‘Bill’s Cafe’ is a very confident bluesrock album from a young artist with an attitude of urgency to let the world hear real handmade music.
Tracks:
01. Hypnotist
02. Devil Doll
03. Going to Toronto
04. It Won’t Get Done
05. Small Town People
06. High Beam Blues
07. Young Country Boy
08. Golden Highway
09. I’m Late
Website: https://garrettwillie.com/