Blessed: Some Thoughts

It's a little unfair to write a "review" (and yes, air quotes are required -- what I'm about to write is more a series of disjointed thoughts than a proper review) of a record I've listened to only a handful of times, but I had high hopes for Blessed. Unfortunately, some of the problems that have plagued Lucinda Williams's last few records continue.

Produced by Don was of Nick of Time fame, its overall sound is pretty subdued. That's not to say it's a bad record, or that music has to be either lyrically sad and downbeat or happy and melodic (there are plenty of songwriters who've made careers with melodic angst), but there's a fuzziness I can't get past: like straining to hear or see something just out of range. Not in a physical way, but (to mix metaphors) like a fog of emotions I can't quite sort out. In that respect, It reminds me a lot of another Don Was production, Paul Westerberg's Suicaine Gratifaction.

Another thing that's been bothering me is her voice. Now, I love, love, love Lucinda's throaty rasp, but on Blessed, she sounds pretty raw. I know a singer's voice doesn't sound the same in her fifties as it did in her thirties, and some wear and tear is inevitable, but I really miss that old voice.

Aunt B. made note of some of the reviews commenting on Lucinda's recent marriage influencing Blessed's mellow sound:

Or maybe the “I got married and it mellowed me” is a good narrative because people are willing to sympathize with it. But I’m going to keep an eye out for it from here on out–the mention of a female artist’s relationships as being central to her art.

The discussion on her blog is worth a read. I haven't read that many reviews other than to notice that they were overwhelmingly positive, but I've read similar things about other female artists. Though I wonder if Lucinda Williams's image as a "lone wolf" of sorts has more to do with it.