Good Souls Better Angels

Last updated

Good Souls Better Angels
Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)
RecordedSeptember–November 2019 [1]
StudioRoom and Board Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Americana, Heartland rock
Length59:49
LanguageEnglish
Label
Producer
  • Ray Kennedy
  • Tom Overby
  • Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams chronology
Vanished Gardens
(2018)
Good Souls Better Angels
(2020)
Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart
(2023)

Good Souls Better Angels is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on April 24, 2020, by Highway 20 Records and Thirty Tigers.

Contents

Announced in February 2020, the album was preceded by the track "Man Without a Soul", a critique of Donald Trump, [2] which earned Williams a Grammy Award nomination for Best American Roots Song. [3] The album received widespread critical acclaim, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 8.110 [4]
Metacritic 84100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
Exclaim! 810 [8]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork 8.010 [11]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Tom Hull A− [15]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Good Souls Better Angels received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 17 critic scores. [5] AnyDecentMusic? sums up critical consensus as an 8.1 out of 10, with 19 reviews. [4] Joe Breen of The Irish Times gave the release five out of five stars, writing that it "punch[es] with a dark, almost biblical vengeance but also, importantly, balance vitriol with solace, hellfire with a hand in need" and praising its timely lyrics. [9] In American Songwriter , Hal Horowitz gave the release 4.5 out of five stars, writing that it is arguably her most intense album, ending his review: "By the end of the hour, you'll be wiped out. This is a devastatingly in your face, take no prisoners presentation from Williams and her band that will leave most serious listeners shattered and perhaps shaking. Few albums connect with this much pure emotional fury, let alone those from artists well into their 60s." [7] Dan Nailen of Inlander writes that this album has Williams' most direct lyrics but suffers from several songs having the same tempo. [16]

Accolades for Good Souls Better Angels
PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Mojo Top 75 Albums of 202038 [17]
Paste Paste's 25 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year14 [18]
Pitchfork The 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020* [19]
Rolling Stone Best Albums of 202047 [20]
Star Tribune Bream's 10 Best Albums7 [21]
Award nominations for Good Souls Better Angels
YearAwardNominated workCategoryResultRef.
2021 Grammy Awards Good Souls Better Angels Best Americana Album Nominated [3]
"Man Without a Soul" Best American Roots Song Nominated

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Overby and Lucinda Williams, except where noted. [22]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Can't Rule Me" Memphis Minnie (adaptation from the original composition)4:02
2."Bad News Blues" 4:37
3."Man Without a Soul" 5:31
4."Big Black Train" 5:28
5."Wakin' Up"Williams4:44
6."Pray the Devil Back to Hell" 5:38
7."Shadows & Doubts" 6:01
8."When the Way Gets Dark" 3:27
9."Bone of Contention"Williams4:05
10."Down Past the Bottom"Greg Garing3:21
11."Big Rotator" 5:20
12."Good Souls" 7:35
Total length:59:49

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Good Souls Better Angels
Chart (2020)Peak
Australian Albums (ARIA) [23] 59
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [24] 24
French Albums (SNEP) [25] 197
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [26] 33
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [28] 21
UK Albums (OCC) [29] 30
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [30] 1
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC) [31] 1
US Billboard 200 [32] 144
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [33] 3
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [34] 20
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [35] 21

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

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