Pssst: Blessed is Lucinda Williams

Thanks to NPR, Lucinda Williams' new album Blessed is available for a free listen until its release date March 1.  All you have to do is click here:

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/21/133840259/first-listen-lucinda-williams-blessed

We had pre-ordered the disc on Amazon.com, but why wait?  We didn't, and now we can't stop playing it.  And what timing: Williams will be in town tomorrow night at Turner Hall and we have tickets.

We are glowing, unabashed fans of Ms. Williams, and have been since 1988 when we first saw her perform at the Seventh Street Entry in Minneapolis. We didn't even mind a few years later when she walked out during her opening song in the adjacent First Avenue. (She did come back after a few minutes. And this seems to happen with her, although we're hopeful it'll be a safe night Wednesday for her rare solo acoustic show. You can't walk out on yourself, can you?)

With each album Williams just keeps upping the ante: Sweet Old World, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, West, Little Honey ... every one of them a gem that kept you waiting for the next album. And now we finally have it. Download the album or order it for yourself  by clicking here.

And if you're within driving distance of a tour stop at these intimate venues you might want to score tickets now:

Feb. 23 Milwaukee, Turner Hall Ballroom
Feb. 25 Bloomington IN, Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
Feb. 26 Nelsonville OH, Stuart's Opera House
Feb. 27 Tucson AZ, Boondocks Lounge
Feb. 27 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
Mar 1 Erie PA, Mercyhurst College
Mar 2 Ann Arbor MI, The Ark
Mar 4 Toronto, Massey Hall
Mar 5 Toronto, Massey Hall
Mar 8 Portsmouth NH, Portsmouth Music Hall
Mar 9 Boston, House of Blues
Mar 11 New York City, Webster Hall
Mar 12 New York City, Webster Hall
Mar 14 New York City, Count Basie Theatre

Blessed is the first PSSST (Personal Six String Sanctuary Tout) for an album that has yet to be released. It's that good, but don't take our word for it.  Listen for free.