\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAbout a decade ago, Nashville was breathlessly trying to find the next Chris Stapleton, who had just vanquished \u201cbro country\u201d and resurrected a more authentic country sound with his debut album, Traveller<\/a><\/em>. Alex Williams<\/a>, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.<\/p>\n \n\tBig Machine Records signed Williams in 2017 and issued his debut album, Better Than Myself<\/em>, that same year. He played a sold-out showcase at Nashville\u2019s Basement East and hit the road with Aaron Lewis, another Big Machine signee. NPR gave the album a splashy premiere, and Rolling Stone<\/em> heralded<\/a> it as an example of a \u201creal storyteller getting his legs.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tBut Better Than Myself<\/em>, while critically well-received, failed to become the next Traveller<\/em>.<\/p>\n