Those expecting a repeat of Lucinda Williams' 2003 release "World Without Tears" may be disappointed by her new album, but the somber songwriting and melancholy tempos on "West" make it the perfect cure for the broken hearted and a hell of a listen for the rest.
On "West," her first album of new material in nearly four years, Williams shuns the super produced power-country that plagues modern radio, reaching instead for her Southern Louisiana roots and the tear-stained country ballads of old for inspiration. Williams' tortured two-pack-a-day voice floats over sparse drumming, thumping upright bass, bayou hand organ and shimmering vibrato-soaked guitar lines as she tells the listener stories about the recent death of her mother, the messy end of a relationship and nights of wondering what might have been.
The album opener and first single, "Are You Alright?" sets the tone of the entire album, chronicling the uncertainty that comes with a suddenly discontented lover. Her voice barely audible above a bed of whispery drums and subtle guitar work, Williams gently repeats the song's namesake question in the manner of a desperate lover, tugging the listeners heart-strings with an ease that comes only with experience.
Other must-hear moments on "West" include the sinister sounding "Unsuffer Me" and the rambling "What If," a long winded but never dull fantasy about a world without conflict. Naive, but heart warming.
Though Williams reached to the past for inspiration while writing "West," the album represents a major step forward and a bit of a break-out moment for the artist. Despite her impressive portfolio, which includes three Grammy awards, eight studio albums and a supporting slot behind Bob Dylan, it seems as if Lucinda Williams has waited until now to produce a truly great work of art. Oh well, it was worth the wait.
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1 comment:
You write very well.
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