Review: Lucinda Williams’ New LP ‘World’s Gone Wrong’ – A Blues Rock “State Of The Union”

Lucinda Williams has returned with a spectacular new album, World’s Gone Wrong, and it’s chock full of rocking – and for lack of a better description – socially conscious tracks. There’s nothing as overt as Springsteen’s spot-on new protest tune, “Streets Of Minneapolis.” Instead these tracks are all about every day people and the difficulties life is currently throwing at them which makes the songs hit hard.

Lucinda is one of those artists the Rock Chick turned me onto. I was aware of her great 1998 album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, but I had never heard the whole thing until I met the Rock Chick and she played it for me. I was on the bandwagon immediately. For the next four or five albums she put out, I was down at the music store with my money in my hand the day they were released.

I can’t explain why, but after 2011’s Blessed (that I just loved), I lost track of Lucinda. I remember having the impression she’d mellowed out but that doesn’t explain how I missed her next decade or so worth of albums. How in the world did I completely missed out on her next four or five albums? I’m not sure I even knew they were out.

As research for this post I went back and listened to her last LP, 2023’s Stories From A Rock N Roll Heart, and I thought it was a knockout record. Springsteen and Patti Scialfa show up to do backing/harmony vocals on a couple of tracks… I really dug “New York Comeback.”

To complicate matters she started releasing a series of cover albums – albums completely comprised of cover songs from a specific artist or a certain era – under the moniker “Lu’s Jukebox.”

The only one of those I’d checked out was her Tom Petty covers album, Lu’s Jukebox Vol. 1 – Runnin’ Down a Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty, when a reader suggested it (thank you Guy!). We’ve seen a torrent of Lucinda music over the last five or so years… which, again, is no excuse for my completely losing track of such an important artist.

Although, I did see Lucinda in concert down at Knuckleheads in the East Bottoms back in ’17. I remember thinking how remarkable she was live… I also saw her open for Neil Young on the Greendale tour and frankly, her set was the highlight of the evening.

With this new release, you can consider me back on the bandwagon. I know that Lucinda had a stroke in 2020 and doesn’t play rhythm guitar any more but her voice was unaffected, thank the Gods. Her voice, at the same time, has the flinty steel of an old blues track and the fragility that makes you think she might break down and weep mid-verse. Her music is rock n roll but there’s plenty of blues in there, with a little country/folk sprinkled in. She’s as “Americana” as you’re gonna get.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw Marc Ford was on board as one of her guitarists. He used to be in the Black Crowes and played on a number of their LPs including Southern Harmony (1992), Amorica (1994), and finally Three Snakes And A Charm (1996). The man can play. His presence, along with Doug Pettibone on the other guitar bring a real grit to these songs. Rounding out the band are: David Sutton (bass), Rob Burger (keys), and Brady Blade (drums). This is the most rocking album I’ve heard from Lucinda in quite a while.

The album starts off with the title track with dirty guitar and ethereal organ. “Everybody knows the world’s gone wrong…” Boy, that’s true. Lucinda sings on the track about the struggles everyday folks are facing out there. It’s a track that just grabbed me immediately. Up and coming country singer Brittney Spencer does a nice harmony vocal on that one and the next track as well, “Something’s Gotta Give,” another slow burning rock song. “There’s a heaviness to these days…”

Next up is a personal favorite, the lilting country-blues-ish “Low Life.” Our heroine in this song is sitting in her favorite neighborhood bar, requesting Slim Harpo on the jukebox and drinking hurricanes. “Have a hurricane on me…” she slurs over a plaintive harmonica. If this track doesn’t break your heart, there’s something wrong with you. “Well I guess this is the low life, but it’s where I wanna be…” Man, I’ve been there… drinking in a blues bar on a Sunday night into the wee small hours…but I digress.

The next track is the emotional center of the album for me, “How Much Did You Get For Your Soul.” Lucinda is clearly directing this rocking question to the power structure here in America, from the corrupt politicians in the current regime to the oligarchs who back them. She then transitions to a great cover of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble In The World,” a personal favorite. To take it up a notch she brings in soul legend Mavis Staples to duet on the track. It’s sublime, I had to pinch myself.

The back half of the record starts with probably the most rocking tune here, “Sing Unburied Sing.” When she sings, “Hovering between two worlds, Above the bloody ground, Your long, sad moan is always heard, Just when I need to be found” you feel it. I love the guitar playing on this track. “Black Tears” is up next and it’s very bluesy and really scratches that swampy blues itch. I love it when she gets down and dirty in the blues.

“Punchline” is a slowed-down, murky burner. You can feel Lucinda’s rage through the speakers. “Freedom Speaks” is a shuffle and man, I hope she’s right. The choruses soar. “It’s hard to believe what’s going on…” And then, “Don’t take me for granted, stand up and fight.” Hell yes!

The album ends on a duet with the wonderful Norah Jones, “We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around,” which sounds like something my father would say on family vacations. It’s the only ballad here. You know it’s Norah as soon as you hear her piano to start the track. A little acoustic guitar pops through the piano notes. It’s a pretty song.

This album is one of the absolute strongest albums of Lucinda’s career. By writing about these issues that are close to her heart she’s come up with a brilliant record. It’s well written and well performed. You’re going to want to pour a tumbler of dark and murky fluid while you groove on this wonderful bluesy rock. Think of it as Lucinda’s “State of the Union,” and it’s all bad except for the steely resilience of the people.

Cheers!