Album Review: Lucinda Williams - World's Gone Wrong

Lucinda Williams

World’s Gone Wrong

**** out of *****

Lucinda Williams was working on her 18th studio album last spring when inspiration struck. She scraped the original idea and decided to write about the state of frightening world events. Williams, her band, and a few high profile guests dug into new topics and World’s Gone Wrong was completed quickly. The title of the record states exactly how Williams is feeling during these troubling times. 

 

Writing with husband/manager/co-producer Tom Overby and guitarist Doug Pettibone, Williams takes modern stress/hardships and matches them to her Americana/roots rock style. The core band with Williams is guitarist Pettibone, guitarist Marc Ford (Black Crowes), drummer Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris), bassist David Sutton and background vocalists Maureen Murphy and Siobhan Kennedy. The production is rich and full as the players lock in with a few guests. 

The first of those arrives on the opening title track, that is the best effort presented here. Brittney Spencer (vocals) and Rob Burger (Hammond B3) help out as Williams and crew channel inspiration from the Mississippi Sheiks and modernized the theory that every day can be a struggle. The music is pumping with a Bruce Springsteen vibe of small town pain masking big societal woes flowing through it.    

After the strong opener, Spencer sticks around for "Something's Gotta Give" which delivers a stirring guitar solo while the ominous sounding "Punchline" is a standout as congas and slide guitar back Williams most questioning and affecting lyrics on the album. On the flip side, the lone cover, Bob Marley's "So Much Trouble in the World" is sung expertly with Mavis Staples, but musically feels a bit like a soft reggae cover band and "How Much Did You Get for Your Soul" is too restrained when more punkish energy could really push the tune over the top. 

Oddly, one of the highlight offerings seems left over from William's original batch of songs as "Low Life" is a gem of beach bum number that takes inspiration from Willie Nelson, Dr. John, Jimmy Buffet and more, yet it feels out of place amongst the protest and resistance based efforts. 

The grooving roots rock kicks back in on a pair of numbers. "Sing Unburied Sing" is inspired by Jesmyn Ward’s 2017 award-winning novel while "Freedom Speaks" finds Williams singing as Freedom herself urging others to rise up. Both tracks use smokey guitars and excellent backing vocals from Murphy and Kennedy. 

Even after the protest, angst and calls to action, Williams can't feel completely depressed, ending the album on a very high and even hopeful note. "We've Come Too Far to Turn Around" finds Norah Jones adding piano and backing vocals as the slow country waltzing, church ready hymn hints at light after these dark times. 

Perseverance is the key to Williams attitude throughout World’s Gone Wrong a strong album from an Americana legend.    

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Support the artist, buy the album, peep some video:

1. best song, muscled up best production, excellent singing. 
2. groovy background singer, meaty guitar solo. can maybe go with 9. 
3. easy flowing Americana, harmonica. Mickey Raphael, very good song, but out of place. 

4. how much did you get for your soul. not as punky as could be., 

5. Reggage - Cover of Bob Marley, meh. Mavis Staples. 

6. lightly swaggering rock.  pair this one with 9 as I think same back up singers and feeling. 
7. Blues Reese Wynan’s Hammond B3
8. Ominous sounding, with organ congas, and slide guitar. Questioning God and life's mysteries.
9. More grooving southern rock. Stand up and fight, don’t take liberty for granted background vocals by Maureen Murphy and Siobhan Kennedy?? maybe
10. Slow country waltz, piano lead. Back up singer. Norah Jones singing and piano. Nice finale, church ready hymn about perseverance.


guitarist Doug Pettibone, guitarist Marc Ford (Black Crowes), drummer Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris), and her longtime bassist David Sutton. background vocals by Maureen Murphy and Siobhan Kennedy


On the gripping title track, they’re joined by guest vocalist Brittney Spencer and keyboardist Rob Burger on Hammond B3. Its title inspired by the 1931 Mississippi Sheiks song