Lucinda Williams: Blessed Review

Artist: Lucinda Williams
Album: Blessed
Label: Lost Highway

Lucinda Williams, known as a pioneer among alternative folk singers, has over two decades of music behind her littered with bad break ups and unrequited love. Her sultry voice and rough-around-the-edges laments suited her perfectly for the position of queen of female rockers. Where her fans were used to her singing of longing in the past, her 1998 album Little Honey carved the road for songs featuring portraits of found love, joy inner peace and fulfillment, fueled by her marriage to producer Tom Overby.

Blessed continues on in the same fashion; however, Williams continues to evolve and has maybe even “softened up” a little as a songwriter. While Blessed is seemingly less rock than previous albums by Williams, it will still surprise older fans and new fans alike with its perfect balance of harder and softer sounds.

“Buttercup” finds Williams singing about someone making less than feeble attampts at redeeming themselves, while “Ugly Truth” teems with almost necessary pain. “Convince Me”, “Awakening”, and “Born to be Loved” are raw with sultry swagger that will carry you somewhere between blues and ‘bellyrubbin’ music with the spirits of Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks and Leann Womack to guide you. This album has a dimly lit room feel to it that would be make anyone pine over a glass of wine and a cigarette.

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Written by Holly Miller-Carufel

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