Yasmin Williams, a 24-year-old guitarist from northern Virginia, redefines fingerstyle guitar with her innovative, multi-limbed playing that blends kalimba, tap shoes, and guitar in a style all her own, rooted in influences from West African griots to video games. Her sophomore album Urban Driftwood is an instrumental yet deeply narrative reflection on 2020, weaving personal introspection with national reckoning in the wake of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. Williams, who began playing guitar after mastering Guitar Hero 2, rejects traditional guitar canons, instead drawing from R&B, hip-hop, go-go, and icons like Hendrix, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Black women guitarists such as Elizabeth Cotten. The album’s carefully sequenced tracks use melody and rhythm—not just technique—to tell a story, from the hopeful opener “Sunshowers” to the politically charged “Adrift,” culminating in the title track’s homage to her heritage, and ending with the reflective “After the Storm.” Celebrated for its emotional depth and musical innovation, Urban Driftwood has received critical acclaim from major publications, and Williams continues to tour, bringing her boundary-pushing artistry to a wider audience.
