Lucinda Williams has always sung with a leathery ache in her throat. Even when proclaiming the wonders and beauty of the sweet old world in which we live to a suicidal protagonist, there was pain in her voice. Of course, that’s part of being a blues singer. Williams may rock, but she’s always been bluesy from her 1979 debut release, Ramblin’ on My Mind, to her most recent release, 18 albums later, World’s Gone Wrong.
Williams commands authority. Whether she croons about dancing barefoot to jazz or taking rocket ships to outer space, you know she literally means what she says. The daughter of a poet understands what another scribe with the same last name famously said, “No ideas but in things.” That’s why she identifies who is playing on the jukebox (Slim Harpo, Dr. John, Miles Davis) or makes the reference (Elon Musk) so clear that she doesn’t have to say it. Donald Trump’s name is never stated, but his specter is all over the record.
Trump and his minions are the modern exemplars of America’s dark dream. The record looks back at how we got here and at our current condition. Williams’ self-penned lyrics boldly declare her dissatisfaction with the present. She doesn’t mince words as much as spit them out. She sings directly and passionately from the heart.
The ten tracks on World Gone Wrong are heavy. This ain’t no party record. There’s too much pain going around. The twinge in Lucinda Williams’ voice morphs into a Southern twang, which adds an abrasive resonance to her observations about racism on “Black Tears” and “Freedom Speaks”. Her anger finds expression even as she resists despair in “Something’s Gotta Give” and “We’ve Come Too Far to Turn Around”. The devil is real, as is evil, we learn in “How Much Did You Get For Your Soul?”, but she’s not that sure about God as she humorously demurs on “Punchline”.
The title song offers a parable about a working-class couple facing hard times. Williams uses plain language (“He sells cars, and she’s a nurse”) to suggest their representative existence. They are ordinary just like us, and we share in their suffering. The world has gone wrong when two regular folk can’t make it because of economic forces and the suggestion of wickedness in this world. The track ends with the couple dancing in each other’s arms. Williams ends the song with hope and love. People can find comfort and solace in other people. We are all in this together.
The album features one cover, Williams’ take on Bob Marley‘s “So Much Trouble in the World”. The reggae track features a duet with the remarkable Mavis Staples, who brings out the gospel nature of the lyrics. We may live in troubled times, but sharing our burdens makes us human.
The other prominent guest vocalist on the record is Norah Jones, whose dulcet tones contrast with Williams’ on the hopeful closing tune. The world may have taken a wrong turn, but the singers have not given up hope. The sounds of their voices can work as a prayer to help make it right. Amen.