Williams, Lucinda / Blessed
Album: Blessed   Collection:General
Artist:Williams, Lucinda   Added:Feb 2011
Label:Lost Highway Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-04-24 Pull Date: 2011-06-26
Week Ending: Jun 12 Jun 5 May 29 May 22 May 15 May 8 May 1
Airplays: 2 2 1 2 4 1 3

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 26, 2024: Traditions
Blessed
4. Nov 17, 2017: Traditions
Blessed
2. Nov 24, 2022: Happy Thanksgiving
Blessed
5. Sep 17, 2016: The Iron Skillet
Born To Be Loved
3. Nov 24, 2017: Traditions
Blessed
6. Jan 17, 2015: The Iron Skillet
Born To Be Loved

Album Review
Klayr
Reviewed 2011-04-17
If you don’t already love Lucinda Williams or aren’t necessarily into country music, don’t be scared off by people who simplify her as a mere country singer. She is so much more—more alt-country than straight country, but with elements of southern rock mixed in as well. Her vocals range from drawling to raspy to sweet and vulnerable. She is a goddess of both ballads and embittered songs about failed love. Woman’s got a lot of anger, but a lot of romance to her as well. For those who already know/love her, this is another album in the vein of West, but with more ballads/sadness. For fans of: Drive-By Truckers, Dawes, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, etc. No FCCs. Recommended tracks: 1, 4, 7, 9 Reviewed by Klayr.

1. Raunchy, embittered, slightly vengeful, with dirty guitar licks… Lucinda doing some of what she does best. [3:51]
2. Wistful, slightly dejected ballad with lots of nice pedal steel. [5:00]
3. More upbeat song—still about spurned love, but with lovely harmonies. Nice straightforward alt-country. [4:31]
4. That gorgeous ballad that every LW album has. Her voice sounds alternatingly twangy (her M.O.) and soulful. Pretty, bluesy guitar solo midway. Yum. [4:38]
5. Rollicking, slightly spiteful song. More of a country rock track, with lots of drums, electric guitar, etc. Lucinda’s voice has that edge it gets when she’s angry (see “Come On” from West for a fantastic example of this), but there are also some nice harmonies in there. [5:14]
6. Slow, slow track with stripped down acoustic guitar, pedal steel, desolate lyrics. Story about war, soldiers, death… yeah. Nice lil electric solo at the end. [6:09]
7. Title track—a meditation on being blessed in ways both expected and unexpected. A really pretty, stripped down song. Low-key instrumentation, which picks up near the end. Piano, something synthy, some electric guitar, but mostly focused on the list-like lyrics, which are really quite poetic (if a little sentimental at times). [5:49]
8. Love letter song… a bit too melancholy for my taste but if you’re into slow, swaying ballads, this is for you. Also there just might be some accordion in there (!). [3:33]
9. Vocals oh so drunken/raspy in this dark song. That country feel (just a touch twangy, with both acoustic and electric guitar), nice male/female harmonies, stormy lyrics—so many of Lucinda’s specialties in one track. [4:22]
10. Upbeat, country-rock song with grungy electric guitar, and some psychedelic synth action. [5:46]
11. Song about “the awakening”… starts slow and foreboding, with simple guitar melody + vox, then bursts into distorted, epic, echo-y solo in the middle. Returns to same aesthetic as beginning afterward, then another awesome explosion with freaking wild electric organ. This song is an awakening. [6:25]
12. Wistful love song. Just plain gorgeous, if rather sad. [3:51]

Track Listing
1. Buttercup   7. Blessed
2. I Don't Know How You're Livin'   8. Sweet Love
3. Copenhagen   9. Ugly Truth
4. Born To Be Loved   10. Convince Me
5. Seeing Black   11. Awakening
6. Soldier's Song   12. Kiss Like Your Kiss