New album by Americana’s first lady. £7 posted UK. Still shrinkwrapped.
On Stories from a Rock N Roll Heart Williams teamed up with singer/songwriter and dear friend Jessie Malin, who co-wrote three tracks on the album and helped her flush out some of the melodies on guitar. Williams also looked to her longtime road manager, Travis Stephens, a veteran guitarist and songwriter, to bring her ideas to life as he co-wrote six songs on the album.
The result is a melodic 10-song rock offering that is an inspiring testament to Williams’ fortitude and perseverance to continue to create under any circumstances. Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart kicks off with the gritty “Let’s Get The Band Back Together,” launching a musical journey that includes edgy rockers such as “Rock N Roll Heart” and “This Is Not My Town.” Williams pays tribute to rock legends Tom Petty (“Stolen Moments”) and Replacements’ co-founder Bob Stinson(“Hum’s Liquor”), to whom she dedicates the album.
It would not be a Lucinda Williams album without pulling on the heartstrings. The moving “Last Call for the Truth,” the nostalgic and beautiful “Jukebox,” and the poignant album closer “Never GonnaFade Away” are Williams at her classic best. A true highlight of Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart is the epic “Where the Song Will Find Me,” a hauntingly beautiful piece, orchestrated and arranged by Lawrence Rothman. Throughout the song, Williams expresses that despite everything she has been through she will never stop seeking, and we are all the better for it.