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West is Lucinda Williams' current release. I bought this after greatly enjoying 2 of her previous albums and have been listening to it a lot.

Three of the first four tracks (Are You Alright?, Mama You Sweet, Fancy Funeral) are fairly straight country-folk and appear to be about the recent death of Williams' mother. Mama You Sweet has a bit of the country hip-hop style that Williams has explored previously. The other track of the opening group, Learning How To Live, has a subtly different lyrical theme, but is equally subdued and matches the same country-folk style.

The next track Unsuffer Me is a brilliant cry for help - a heavier, moody ramble with gripping lyrics and Williams' signature gut-wrenching vocal style. This is followed by Everything Has Changed, which an equally negative song done in a much prettier style. Then, on Come On, things get heavier again and Williams takes aim at a guy who has obviously let her down. I'm not sure I've ever heard a nastier song - this one uses up the album's language warning with a single line... although the rest of the lyrics aren't exactly subtle. The sneer in Williams' voice on the this track almost reaches out and grabs you. I like it!

The rest of the album features a bunch of very good country and folk songs. Wrap My Head Around That differs in that it is another hip-hop style track.

West certainly isn't a positive album. It is one of the darker albums I've heard in a while. Williams explores a some negative experiences from some interesting vantage points, making this album an excellent listening experience. I really like West.