For years the American singer / songwriter Lucinda Williams was considered the queen of the broken heart. Unadorned, rough and with her raw, broken voice she knew how to sing this like no other on albums like Essence (2001) and World Without Tears (2003). The changeable Little Honey (2008) was all about the true love she had finally found in her fifties. Williams is now married to Tom Overby (also
… her manager) and she leads a harmonious life in Los Angeles. The album title Blessed is therefore not intended to be cynical. In fierce country rock songs, interspersed with fragile ballads, Williams now primarily observes the life around him in an involved manner. She sees the beauty of this but also still bad luck and loss. The lack of star guitarist Doug Pettibone is overcome by the two, solid and loosely playing guitarists Val McCallum and Greg Leisz. This adds to the relaxed atmosphere of this album on which the blessed Williams once again proves to be a meaningful songwriter. (MR)more
