Review:

on 2012-04-24 CharlesMartel Said:

Lucinda Williams is probably who Sheryl Crow wished she could be  if only Sheryl came from the south instead of Missouri. In fact, Lucinda Williams is probably who a lot of female vocalists - from both sides of the pond - probably wished they could have been. That voice is something to listen to and wonder at. It is one of those voices which conveys all the meaning and passion of where the vocalist is from without ever stooping to the sort of sentimentality which can be conveyed by certain voices.

Williams' Louisiana drawl has its moments of sheer brilliance. At times, her ability to throw in an additional syllable (Car-o-lee-a-na) without it sounding forced or affected is quite staggering. Her songs are of the South, but without either the maudlin melodrama or the distasteful reminiscing of some. But above all, Lucinda Williams sings about what it is to be a woman. And therein lies the great beauty of this, "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", her finest album.

Now I hate the term 'chick rock' so I am not going to use it. And anyone who thinks that, as a male, this is not for me to listen to, let alone comprehend, I have news for you. This is music which transcends those boundaries. In fact, if you are male you really should listen to this because it will tell you more aboput the woman in your life than you could ever find out through other means, unless you are proficient at the Vulcan Mind Meld.

"Drunken Angel" will explain a lot to you - how a woman can deplore her drunken, layabout, good-for-nothing partner and yet still love and stay with him. There are stories here which tell of personal times ("Lake Charles") and yet have universal appeal. Stories which tell of a series of reminiscences ("Car Wheels on a Gravel Road") which you can share in without actually having been there. There are songs whose meaning is obscure enough that you can allow it to mean to you whatever you want and still feel it generalises ("2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten"). These are songs which have a universal appeal across age and culture.

And yet, despite its obvious strengths, there is something lacking somewhere. Williams is known as a perfectionist who is obsessive about her albums - this is only her fourth release since her debut in 1979 - and yet I feel that very perfectionism has driven something out of the music. In a way, by striving for that perfect moment in every song, Williams has overlooked the energy and the sheer power which can be discovered in spontaneity. "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" is not an album which is overproduced in the conventional sense, but it is over perfected in a personal sense.

A little more rough edges here and there would have done this album a power of good. It remains a fine record and one that should be listened to by everybody at least once in their lives. And it is probably Williams' finest. But it is not anywhere near a perfect record. It lacks something almost intangible which could have made this a great record. I have this suspicion it would definitely sound a lot better in a live environment.
Rating: 7/10