Lucinda Williams
began her series of "Lu's Jukebox" albums, themed collections where she covered the work of a particular artist or songwriter, as a way of keeping busy during the COVID-19 pandemic and to help benefit venues that were shuttered during lockdown. Three and a half years after she kicked off the project with 2021's
Lu's Jukebox, Vol. 1: Runnin' Down a Dream ¿ A Tribute to Tom Petty
, it's clear she enjoys interpreting the work of others, which seems a bit curious coming from an acclaimed and accomplished songwriter, though it also allows her to demonstrate what she learned from her favorite musicians.
Williams
was 11 years old when
the Beatles
made their game-changing American debut in 1964, which means she, like millions of others, grew up with their music, and while her work, steeped in blues, country, and folk, wouldn't seem to have a lot to do with the Fab Four, the craft of their songwriting and their robust appetite for sonic experimentation doubtless registered with her as it has with several generations of music fans. For her seventh Lu's Jukebox LP,
and her band spent three days at London's Abbey Road Studios, where
recorded the sizable majority of their catalog, and the title
Lucinda Williams Sings the Beatles from Abbey Road
concisely tells you what you're getting. For the most part,
focuses on album cuts rather than pop hits, though "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Something" are here, and she aims for the rougher and more idiosyncratic side of
' catalog, putting a healthy portion of soulful grit into "Don't Let Me Down" and "I've Got a Feeling," letting her Southern spirit inform the psychedelia of "Rain," and replacing the bitterness of "I'm Looking Through You" with a palpable sadness.
and her band -- which includes former
Black Crowes
guitarist
Marc Ford
, as well as
Doug Pettibone
on guitar,
David Sutton
on bass,
Richard Causon
on keyboards, and
Butch Norton
on drums -- don't attempt to reinvent these songs, instead filtering the melodies through their own musical worldview. On most tracks they hit an effective compromise between their own enlightened roadhouse swagger and the inventive melodic structures nearly all of us know by heart.
underplays her vocals on many of these songs, which usually works in their favor, letting the subtleties do the talking rather than over-emoting. While "The Long and Winding Road" and "Let It Be" don't quite click, with their sentimentality going against the grain of
' plain-spoken style, this album is a welcome testimony from a fan, reminding us how
spoke to so many people in so many ways, including one of roots music's most vital tunesmiths. ~ Mark Deming