Lucinda Williams

It’s not hard to find an artist who’s capable of offering a guided tour of life’s dark clouds – nor is it rare to come into contact with one who can hone in on the silver lining. But the ability to do both with equal grace is an altogether rarer gift, and it’s one that Lucinda Williams displays with remarkable élan on her latest Lost Highway album, Blessed.
Recorded with producer Don Was at the end of what Williams calls a “writing streak that gave me enough to make two albums,” Blessed brings together a dozen masterfullycrafted pieces that fall into place beautifully, their welcoming sonic tenor offering an ideal foil for the conversational narrative that runs through the dozen short stories. The tales these songs tell cover plenty of topical territory but invariably end up offering the listener a sense of affirmation. By the time the albums final notes resound, that hope will not only be clear, it’s likely to be passed on to the listener – paid forward in the most touching way.