Deeply sad country pop ballads. Affecting, not sugary... influenced by the recent death of her mom. Williams employs sadness as a double-edged sword--with pure compassion and as a negative object lesson. Heartfelt, intensely present vocals. (The best vocal performance from anyone I've heard in years. And this may be her best LP.) Standard country-pop instrumentation used masterfully: every note, flourish, and silence in its place... sometimes sounding like Crazy Horse backing Neil Young. Piercing lyrics. (Her lyrics always are, but here they're especially sharp.) Ignore the fact that mainstream media loves this album too. Fuck 'em. It's random that they've latched onto a musical genius. Songs range widely in texture and feel... explore the record. Play with sad songs by Neko Case, Rykarda Parasol, Eleni Mandell, Gillian Welch, Neil Young, Luna. FCC indecent: 7. Start with 5, 10, 11.

1. Rolling, sad ditty about a missing friend. Starts with processed guitar sounding very much like Luna. Slows and fades.
2. Hypnotic ballad that starts sort of cheery and morphs into "Ocean becomes tears that ebb and flow over the lines in my face and the pain in my soul. And pain hits a wall and doesn't know which way to go."
3. Swaying, horribly sad but hopeful ballad. "I'm learning how to live without you in my life."
4. Depressive, poetic country ballad about funerals.
==> 5. Especially dark and intense. More rock than country. "Unbound my feet. Untie my wrists. Come into my world of loneliness and wickedness and bitterness. Unlock my love."
6. Quiet solipsistic story about being empty. "All the words that used to work have melted in the sun. I don't want to talk to anyone."
7. FCC indecent. Powerful (but still slow) country rock this time. Angry, bitter rebuke against a pathetic boy.
8. Prominent strings. Raw longing for love. "Is my love in Tupelo, whispering down the blues, knowing things he shouldn't know, givin' away what he can't use?"
9. Flowing ballad with prominent maracas and violin.
==> 10. Whimsical ballad about an upside down world that ends with a death squeeze to your heart. You don't know if you should smile or cry, until the end. Music taken from Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer."
==> 11. Dark country talking blues. "You looked right into my eyes. Said I'm not like the other guys." Strong beat, noisy guitar. Starts with about 30 seconds of tuning up and spoken "uh huh's." Fades as it transforms... and then a final laugh.
12. Relatively uptempo country pop. Features accordion. Introspective, recursive song bout words per se.
13. Neil Young-ish slow, country-ballad feel (as in Oh Lonesome Me).