So now that the new Lucinda is out...

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Thoughts? Comments?

My initial reaction: she's wearing out the whole honky-tonk casualty thing. I mean, I believe she's still spending lots of wasted nights and bleary mornings (in fact, I know people who can attest to it...), but I'm not getting as much out of hearing about it, because she's not finding as much to say about it. Reminds me a little of Courtney Love in places, and not in a good way. (Yes, it would be possible to remind me of Courtney in a good way, stop the hate.)

She's still a helluva singer, and there are some nice tunes, but not many tracks have leapt out at me after 3 or 4 times through. The rap-inflected bits are interesting and not as embarassing as they could be -- and not as embarassing as the "social commentary" track.

I'm gonna let it percolate a little more -- it took me a while to find the 5 or 6 songs I love on "Essence." But clearly not a classic.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Monday, 21 April 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The only song that grabs me is "Those Three Days," which feels on a par with the older stuff. Otherwise, the rock 'n' religion angle is feeling, oddly, more forced and stiff than her re-recorded-45-times albums. Overstatement (the "rock" parts) doesn't suit her writing much, nor does the guitar dude with the new pedal.

― Sasha Frere-Jones (Sasha Frere-Jones), Monday, 21 April 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I think on the best songs on Essence (Lonely Girls, Blue) she was really into some nice minimalist stuff. As opposed to "Real Life, Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings" -- sounds like a verse from "Summer of '69" or something.

Plus, the first time she said fuck worked a lot better than the second time.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Monday, 21 April 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The only song that stood out to me was "Righteously."

Anyone see her perform on one of the late-night talk shows? I only caught the tail end of it, but it seemed very half-assed.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 21 April 2003 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, those things tape kinda early in the day for Lu...

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Though to be fair, a promoter I know says that for all the horror stories he's heard, she's always been a sweetheart to deal with.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

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