Depending upon your alt-country aesthetic, you may find Lucinda Williams’ vocals annoying in their elision or just plain soulful. (For contrasting views in this debate, read veteran rock writers Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau on Williams. Marcus can’t stand her singing, while Christgau lauds its originality.) I find her vocal style interesting, though I think she drawls too much on her more recent albums. No matter your take on her voice, Williams is a great songwriter. Thursday’s show honors the Louisiana native’s realist narratives, which display Williams’ keen grasp of detail. She has immense sympathy for the people whose small tragedies she describes in songs such as “Memphis Pearl,” a tune from her 1992 album Sweet Old World, which she re-recorded to create 2017’s slightly resequenced This Sweet Old World. On board to honor her at this tribute show at The Basement will be Nashville popsters Mindy Smith, Matthew Perryman Jones, Isaaca Byrd and Griffin House. Joining them will be Hush Kids, Liam Russell, Zoe Sky Jordan and Blu Sanders. EDD HURT
Drunken Angels: A Lucinda Williams Tribute
