Lucinda Williams – Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (ALBUM REVIEW)

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lucindaalbum2Let’s be honest, prolific singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams does not need to prove anything to anyone. And her new record, a lengthy double album titled Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone is proof of that. No doubt a few eyebrows were raised questioning why at this point in her career, Williams can’t pare 20 songs down to 10, and though she definitely could have, there are some pretty exquisite songs here if you’re willing to be patient.

Though Williams’ voice has deteriorated a bit over her long and storied music career, her songwriting never has. And there are truly some standouts on Bone, particularly on the first half. “Cold Day in Hell” is a rainy day blues number that permeates with sadness. This isn’t a strong vocal point on the record for her, and this occurs a handful of times throughout, where the song bests the singing. But Williams has always been lauded for her totally unique and imperfect rasp, and it is still buried in there somewhere. If you’re able to separate those vocal imperfections from the song, you’ll be able to appreciate their beauty much more deeply.

“Compassion” is another gorgeous song on Bone, and a particularly shining vocal moment for Williams. Not overwrought or over sung, it’s a dark ballad that haunts in a pitch-perfect way. “East Side of Town” is another highlight of disc one in which Williams weathered voice sounds its best. It’s a smooth pop rock gem with a catchy chorus, and is definitely worth more than a couple listens.

While there are standouts, there are also a few songs that get a bit murky and could certainly have been cut. “Foolishness” starts strong, but then meanders and drags on for at least two minutes too long, clocking in at nearly six minutes. And that isn’t even the longest track on Bone. “Magnolia”, a beautiful alt-country ballad is almost 10 minutes in length, and while the guitar playing is enchanting and serene, it surely could have been edited. In fact, it isn’t too hard to go through this whole record and pull out the 10 or 12 best songs and assemble a much stronger release overall. It’s as if Williams has more songs written than she knows what to do with, and it’s safe to say that perhaps they shouldn’t all have ended up on this record.

Sure, bluesy tunes like “Big Mess” and “Protection” are strong entries in this long lineup, but they’d be even better if they weren’t filtered through a bunch or forgettable songs. Many of the better songs on Bone end up getting a bit lost in the shuffle.

In truth, there’s not much Lucinda Williams could do that her longtime fans (and there are lots of them) wouldn’t appreciate. And Bone doesn’t take away from her status as one of the queens of gritty Americana music, but it might have fared better had Williams cut it down.

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