▁described ▁by ▁one ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁critic ▁as ▁" un just ly ▁neglect ed ". ▁After ▁his ▁contract ▁with ▁A & M ▁exp ired ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁Wil co x ▁continued ▁to ▁write ▁songs , ▁tour ▁and ▁release ▁albums . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁he ▁performed ▁at ▁Car neg ie ▁Hall ▁with ▁thirty ▁other ▁singer - song writ ers ▁in ▁a ▁show case ▁event . ▁Wil co x ▁also ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁Ac oust ic ▁Gu itar , ▁which ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁James ▁Taylor ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁" hus ky ▁breath iness ▁more ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Nick ▁Dra ke " ▁and ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁" best ▁known ▁of ▁the ▁brilliant ▁c rop ▁of ▁singer - song writ ers ▁to ▁emer ge ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁' 8 0 s ." ▁He ▁was ▁based ▁in ▁As he ville , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁and ▁Maryland ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁As he ville ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁de cade , ▁Wil co x ▁continued ▁to ▁release ▁albums , ▁including ▁In to ▁the ▁Myst ery ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁He ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁guest ▁artist ▁at ▁guitar ▁work sh ops . ▁His ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁sometimes ▁of ▁the ▁" pro bing ▁meaning - of - life " ▁type