At least twice on her new album, Lucinda Williams worries about whether she can still write good songs.
She sings on one cut about putting herself “where the songs will find me.” And on the closer, “Never Gonna Fade Away,” she frets about what happens when “the words don’t rhyme, and I can’t find a line, and I’m looking for a sign, and I’m running out of time.”
Ironically, both are good songs. And while it’s sometimes a bad sign when songwriters bemoan the need for inspiration, Williams’ muse visits her plenty on “Stories From a Rock N Roll Heart.”
The album is, as advertised by the name, a collection of hard-charging rock ‘n’ roll. It reflects her resistance to being labeled as Americana — though she could legitimately claim a spot on that genre’s Mount Rushmore.
Williams’ honesty and empathy serve her well on “Hum’s Liquor,” a tribute to Bob Stinson, one of the founding members of the seminal rock band, The Replacements, who died years ago at the age of 35. The song, which features Stinson’s younger brother and fellow Replacements founding member Tommy Stinson, demonstrates that Williams, who just turned 70, still has the chops to strike deep emotional chords.
Williams dedicates the entire album to Bob Stinson, “a true rock ‘n’ roll heart.”
Her band, a mixture of her regular touring ensemble and others, sounds especially good on a tribute to Tom Petty, who died in 2017. Starting with a winding guitar riff that could have come from Petty’s own Stratocaster, “Stolen Moments” has the power to make you miss him all over again.
It’s worth noting, without making excuses, that Williams has had a rough few years. Her East Nashville home was damaged in a tornado in 2020, and later that year she suffered a minor stroke that left her unable to play the guitar. That forced her to co-write more songs, working with husband Tom Overby and others. It may also explain why these 10 songs feel more hook-based than centered around her lyrics, and why she worries if she still has it.
But the songs do find her, with a big assist from friends and bandmates. The album may not match her best work lyrically, but that’s a high bar — and it’s still good enough to add another important chapter to one of the most important musical journeys of the last half-century.
“Stories From a Rock N Roll Heart” by Lucinda Williams (Highway 20 Records/Thirty Tigers)
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