From the ACL Taping Program on September 18, 2007:
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS favorite Lucinda Williams returns to the stage with a new album and her patented roots-rock spunk. Williams, named one of “America’s Best Songwriter” by Time magazine, has become a queen in the alternative country-rock community by making music the way she sees fit.When it comes to songwriting, Williams knows what she’s doing and how to really reach listeners. “It's really about living in your head ... just looking out at the world, then going back into your head and tossing around a lot of ideas and coming out with something interesting to say,” said Williams.
With her new studio album West, the first since 2003’s World Without Tears, Williams continues her heartfelt songwriting skills. “The songs deal with a chapter in my life and they definitely tell a story,” said Williams. “It's probably been the most prolific time in my life as a writer. I'd been through so many changes — my mother's death and a very tumultuous relationship that ended badly — so obviously there's a lot of pain and struggling, but it ends with a look towards the future.”
Entertainment Weekly compares West to Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind and All Music Guide said it is “destined to become a classic.” The Guardian wrote “What makes Williams such an important country artist, besides the excellent songwriting and that sultry, scarred southern voice, is her skill at stretching the genre's boundaries while mining its essence.”
