The acclaimed veteran country, rock and Americana singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy winner’s latest LP has a title that speaks for itself, but is powerful, angry, defiant and uplifting, and recorded in Nashville, features guest vocals from Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer. The latter sings backing on the the titular The World's Gone Wrong (“Come on baby / We gotta be strong / Dark days are getting long / Looking for comfort in a song /Everybody knows the world's gone wrong”) - an anthem to working-class struggles and constant bad news, as well as the dark, bluesy rock guitar and menace of Something's Gotta Give (“there’s a darkness to these days … there’s an anger in these days … there’s a danger to these days … evil has come to play”). Williams’ voice wavers with age (73) and emotion, but it resonance and power remains, working with partner Tom Overby who co-produces and longtime Williams’ collaborator Ray Kennedy. Low Life is a gentler, affection country number tribut to a down-at-heel bar. How Much Did You Get For Your Soul is catchy blues rock, but as well as the title track, among the highlights is the ever Staples (who released her own album late last year) duetting on the only cover version of the 10 songs - Bob Marley and the Wailers' So Much Trouble in the World, the catchy and defiant Freedom Speaks, and the finale with Jones on We've Come Too Far to Turn Around, - slow, tender, and comforting. Out on Williams’ label Highway 20 Records and via Thirty Tigers.
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