Lucinda Williams- World’s Gone Wrong
Label: Thirty Tigers
Producers: Ray Kennedy, Tom Overby
One of the definitive characteristics of Lucinda Williams’ staggering, half-century spanning career: she’s not one to mince words or shy away from a topic, be it politically-charged or otherwise. She’s one of the most fearless singer-songwriters in American history, and as her iconic catalog extended into the turbulent social climate of the 2020s, it’s no surprise that she has emerged as one of the most outspoken artists of the Trump era. Titling her sixteenth proper album World’s Gone Wrong was an immediate spoiler alert that there was more of this to come on her newest batch of music. But one should also be cautious in pigeonholing Williams’ new album to this one note, as there have been other equally significant trends in her recent catalog that also forge forward on Wrong. Not only has Williams’ frequency of output increased dramatically during the legacy arc of her career (she used to be notorious for her painfully long gaps between albums), but musically we’ve also seen Lucinda unleash a bolder, renewed blues-rock sound that is impressively vital, particularly for a singer in their early 70s, not to mention one that survived a stroke back in 2020.
Williams’ recovery and reemergence from that low-point is a comeback that has not received enough attention. Listening to her musical output and live performances over the past several years reveals both a human and a performer with seemingly a second lease on life, even amongst the world’s latest complications. Her ferocious vocal warble is as fiercely arresting as it has been in decades, and the same can be said for the musicianship and production choices on recent records. Quite simply, they’re as rockingly badass as anything she recorded in her 30s and 40s. “Sing Unburied Sing” is a standout example of this, churning out a Joe Walsh-worthy riff that feels lifted from a classic rock station playlist. “Black Tears” meanwhile transplants you to the Mississippi Delta region, circa 1930, with its reverently primitive nod to the most foundational of blues music.
This musical atmosphere provides a sterling and potent setting for her to air her grievances, not just with the present administration, but with society in general, without completely sacrificing the accessibility or entertainment value of the music itself. This is aided by the fact that the record is not as pointed in its spitting political nature as 2020’s Good Souls Better Angels and its definitive outcry, “Man Without A Soul”, though “How Much Did You Get For Your Soul” does serve as a suitable sequel. She’s also assisted in achieving a striking balance by new producer, Ray Kennedy, who is most notable for his production of Steve Earle’s notorious and similarly themed twofer of Jerusalem (2002) and The Revolution Starts Now (2004). With Kennedy at the helm, he and Williams ensure that their messages are clearly stated, and the music both supports these messages while also contributing to a greater overall spirit of the record. Albums with these sorts of inspirations and machinations can quickly devolve into rambling soap-boxes rather than musical performances. Instead, World’s Gone Wrong never waivers from its purpose as a battle-cry for those feeling hopeless in today’s complicated society.
And that’s a purpose that’s informed from an array of circumstances, not just those specifically tied to the present state of the union. Tracks like “The World’s Gone Wrong” and “Something’s Gotta Give” (both graced by the soulful harmonies of country upstart Brittney Spencer) reconcile a hopeless desperation with tinges of a survivor’s spirited perseverance. Meanwhile, “Low Life” is a classically down-trodden drinking tune that adds levity to the proceedings, without losing sight of the album’s central core. On “Punchline”, she takes God to task, bitterly assessing our present social state as a cruel joke. These performances succeed in exorcising all of the complicated and conflicting emotions of today’s human experience, with unflinching honesty and raw resonance.
For me however, the most stirringly inspired moments prove to be the cover of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble In the World”, and the album closer, “We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around”. The first finds Williams joining forces with the great Mavis Staples, marrying two vastly different musical voices through their unified, long-standing commitments to social justice. On the latter track, Williams delivers one of her signature blues laments while joined by the supple harmonies and piano strokes of Norah Jones, with their dichotomous styles proving to be perfectly emblematic of the album’s two central truths: yes, the world is fucked up, and no, we’re not going to surrender in our battle to rise above it all.
Track Listing:
- “The World’s Gone Wrong” featuring Brittney Spencer (Lucinda Williams, Tom Overby, Doug Pettibone)
- “Something’s Gotta Give” featuring Brittney Spencer (Williams, Overby, Pettibone)
- “Low Life” (Williams, James Krivchenia, Adrianne Lenker, Alexander Meek, Travis Stephens)
- “How Much Did You Get For Your Soul” (Williams, Overby, Pettibone)
- “So Much Trouble In the World” featuring Mavis Staples (Bob Marley)
- “Sing Unburied Sing” (Williams, Overby, Pettibone)
- “Black Tears” (Williams, Overby, Pettibone)
- “Punchline” (Williams, Overby, Pettibone, Marc Ford)
- “Freedom Speaks” (Williams, Overby, Pettibone)
- “We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around” with Norah Jones (Williams)
The 706 
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