|
After
the runaway success of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,
many thought that Lucinda Williams might never be
able to top herself. Her new album, Essence,
is proof that she can.
Car
Wheels led to Lucinda's second Grammy, gold certification,
being placed on the top of countless critic's Top
Ten lists, and masses added to her ever-growing legion
of fans. Since that release, Lucinda has been called
one of the top 100 women in rock by VH1 and named
as the most influential female singer of the 1990's
by a recent book (Shout Sister Shout, 2000), among
many other accolades. After Essence, the honors
continue to pour in with TIME Magazine voting her
"America's Best Songwriter".
On
this record Lucinda includes her signature narrative
style, but also relies on the music. "This album
was very liberating for me," she says. "I
let myself lean on the music, to just turn myself
over to the groove."
There's
something for everyone on this album, from the Doors
vibe of "Are You Down" to the hard-core
country of "Reason to Cry." Stunning and
completely different from her previous works, while
also preserving all the things Lucinda's fans have
come to expect from this extraordinary singer and
songwriter, Essence will surely join her catalogue
of past classics and may well be her latest masterpiece.
No
wonder Lucinda's music strikes a chord in so many
of her devoted fans. No wonder her voice can capture
joy and misery with the same intensity. The music
she writes is the music of her own experience.
Born
in Lake Charles, Louisiana to renowned poet Miller
Williams and a talented pianist mother, Lucinda had
a ferocious love for music and words at an early age.
Her childhood travels took her from Fayetteville,
Arkansas to Santiago, Chile and everywhere in between.
Her itinerant nature can be found in her music, as
well, since she draws from a diverse array of artists
who influenced her. "I loved Loretta Lynn and
Hank Williams, but also Bob Dylan and the Doors and
Jimi Hendrix," she says. "I don't see anything
wrong with loving all kinds of music."
The
history of Lucinda's career is fast becoming the stuff
of music legend, but a brief primer is in order: after
two early albums, Rambling on My Mind (1979)
and Happy Woman Blues (1980), Lucinda's self
titled release from Rough Trade is considered her
breakthrough. Lucinda Williams (1988) included
some of her best-known classics, including "Passionate
Kisses," which won her a songwriting Grammy in
1994. Sweet Old World was released in 1992
to continued applause and six years later came Car
Wheels on a Gravel Road, widely considered as
one of the most influential records of the last half-century
and hailed as "the Blonde on Blonde of the 1990's"
by legendary producer Joe Boyd.
Essence
follows in her tradition of greatness, while offering
something new to the listening masses.
"I'm proud of this record," Lucinda says.
"I'm proud of these lyrics and this music. It's
a bit of a departure for me, and it's a very mature
sound."
On
Essence, Lucinda Williams proves that she's
built to last. On this album, her confidence is evident
in every line. Her trademark voice is in top form
here--eclectic as Lucinda herself, her singing can
capture everything from stark betrayal to unadulterated
joy. Therein lies the secret to Lucinda's genius-she
writes and sings about real life: the pain, pleasure,
and everything in between.
|
