Mike Joyce wrote about Bill Williams in June 2007 for The Washington Post:

If you've been around the Washington music scene for a while, chances are you've heard Bill Williams even if you haven't heard of him. The veteran singer-songwriter and guitarist has played a significant role in the development of several area bands, including Kevin Johnson and the Linemen, Last Train Home, the Grandsons and Little Pink. Suffice to say that his talents haven't gone unnoticed.

Now comes Williams's first solo CD, "Handful," a long-overdue mix of original tunes and well-chosen songs that shouldn't disappoint anyone familiar with his previous studio work. For starters, there's his voice, a tuneful tenor that sounds purely innocent at times, as on his new release's delightfully countrified update of Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer." But Williams can also convey the sort of emotional disconnections that are at the heart of several other songs on "Handful," from Neil Young's "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong" to the self-penned tunes "Sentimental Value," "Lack of Trying" and, best of all, "Rose," a spooky, bluegrass-tinted tale of obsession. Then there's Williams's versatile guitar-mandolin skills to consider. His crisp, colorful fretwork is reason enough to keep listening, though some of the lyrics, beginning with the peculiar ode "Helen," boast strong hooks of their own. Finally, the album's appeal has a lot to do with the company Williams is keeping. Several compatriots turn up to lend a hand or add harmonies, including pedal steel guitarist Dave Van Allen and keyboardist-percussionist Scott McKnight.