Lucinda Williams – ‘Little Honey’ – Album Review

By Jeff Swindoll Oct 24, 2008, 14:59 GMT

Lucinda Williams has always been adept at painting landscapes of the soul, illuminating the spirit\'s shadowy nooks and shimmering crannies -- but she\'s never captured the sun breaking through the clouds as purely as on her new Lost Highway release, Little Honey The album features a duet with Elvis Costello "Jailhouse Tears" Other guest vocalists include Matthew Sweet, Susanna Hoffs, Jim Lauderdale, Tim Easton and Charlie Louvin. The first single ...more

Lucinda Williams gained fame as a songwriter but has gradually risen to a perch both because of her songwriting skill as well as her singing of those songs.  Her latest effort, ‘Little Honey,’ only goes to further her standing. 

Williams won a Grammy in 1993 for writing the song “Passionate Kisses” for Mary Chapin Carpenter and her 1998 album ‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road’ won for best folk album as well as winning gold for her performance of ‘Get Right with God’ in 2001. 

Her 2007 album ‘West’ was influenced by the death of her mother and a break-up. With ‘Little Honey,’ we can surmise that her life has taken a better direction with its upbeat, rocking tunes - although there’s still a hint of some melancholy in some tunes. 

She tells of newfound romance in “Real Love” and she sounds downright enthusiastic on “Honey Bee.”  She even warns of the pitfalls of her own trade in “Little Rock Star.”  She and Elvis Costello trade some witty barbs on “Jailhouse Tears.” 

It’s a rockin’ album and Williams vocals have the right tone to fall into the “cigarette and whiskey soaked” pantheon of Southern Rock tunes. 

She might be able to add another Grammy to her shelf or honor come awards time, but if not it sounds like her life is on such an upswing that it might not matter to her. 

Click Here to enter to win a Lucinda Williams Prize Pack that includes five CDs Titles from her catalog with a copy of the new album.