More so than any of Lucinda Williams’ previous albums,
Blessed brims with a strength and inner confidence that is startling. Even with her voice strained and on the verge of cracking, she is the one pointing fingers. It is marvelous to hear her snarl to a foolish lover---“good luck finding your buttercup”---not just because we want her to win, but because we believe in what she has discovered for herself. That we all have that strength and can find love, beauty and peace if (as the title track and “Awakening” gracefully espouse) we just look at what’s around us. Lucinda’s genius has always rested within the honesty and wisdom from which she sings, but coupled with newfound strength of conviction, her music is truly divine.