Abandoning the lush orchestral backdrops that dominated most of
Loose
,
Victoria Williams
expands her musical skills on
Musings of a Creekdipper
, finding an original, eclectically rural sound that enhances the off-center originality of her songs. Producing the album with
Trina Shoemaker
Williams
has found a collection of sounds and styles that makes the record her most ambitious so far. For the most part, her experiments work, whether it's the cellos and coronets of
"Periwinkle Sky"
or
Wendy & Lisa's
drum loops on "Train Song (Demise of the Caboose)." What really holds the album together is
Williams'
songwriting, which remains consistently impressive, both in lyrical and musical terms. There are a few numbers that don't quite work, but they only illustrate that
best efforts are quirky but graceful folk-rock gems. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine