Eric Liljestrand .: Old Nordic Folk Songs

I’ve always been a big fan of Lucinda Williams, ever since her amazing 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Her stuff is sterling.

Her latest, Little Honey (Lost Highway), could very well be her best yet. Williams is one of those writers whose work directly reflects what’s going on in their personal life at that time. While writing this album she found herself in a very stable relationship, which is her motivation here.

It’s a great sounding album that has some depth to it, courtesy of producer Eric Liljestrand. Thankfully, he doesn’t try to smooth over or hide the musicians’ emotional playing. It’s a pretty soulful album.

“Real Love” leads off with an attention-getting, guitar-jangling bang, and overall it’s a very well-paced album. Mixing genres on pretty much every song, like straight country on “Well, Well, Well,” the blues on “Tears of Joy” and guitar-thrashing rock “Honey Bee,” the album has something for everyone.

Besides the above mentioned, “Heaven Blues,” “Circles and Xs,” “Plan to Marry” and “Jailhouse Tears,” an Elvis Costello vocal duet, are all standouts. With Little Honey being her fourth album this decade, Lucinda Williams is getting better and better each time out.