Review: Lucinda Williams’ “Good Souls Better Angels”

By Paul T. Mueller –

Lucinda Williams’ latest release, Good Souls Better Angels, will probably be a big hit with fans who have embraced her late-career evolution into a kind of rock ‘n’ roll godmother. It may not prove so popular with those who fell in love with the introspective poetry of her earlier days as a folkie singer-songwriter.

Williams has been moving in this direction for a while, so there aren’t a lot of surprises on Good Souls. The album’s 12 tracks find her contending with demons both internal (“Wakin’ Up,” “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” “Down Past the Bottom”) and external (“Bad News Blues,” “Man Without a Soul”). “Big Black Train” reads as Williams’ metaphor for approaching death (“I can hear it comin’ from miles away/And I don’t want to get on board”).

Williams has trod this ground before, but her lyrical style has evolved (some might say devolved) from the meticulous songcraft of, say, “The Night’s Too Long” and “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” to simpler stories and repetitive choruses. It’s a style well suited to live performance and extended jams; Williams, on a good night, is still a force of nature. But it’s hard to imagine these gruffly delivered anthems inspiring the same kind of lasting devotion as do earlier gems such as “Passionate Kisses” or “Pineola.”

Words aside, there’s a lot of listening pleasure to be had here, courtesy of Williams’ longtime band, Buick 6. Guitarist Stuart Mathis, bassist David Sutton and drummer Butch Norton are consummate musicians who have been playing with Williams for years and know exactly how to weave the instrumental framework behind her vocals. Sutton and Norton provide the solid rhythmic foundation, while Mathis wrings every possible sound from his guitars, from subtle picking to soaring solos to noisy distortion. There’s also some atmospheric organ playing by Mark T. Jordan, and all of it is showcased by clean production by Williams, Ray Kennedy and Tom Overby.