Songbird

Every now and then there comes an album that’s meant to be played in a particular place, at a particular time.
Willie Nelson’s Songbird is meant to be played in a smokey, deserted bar, right after you’ve been dumped by the love of your life. Because it’s only when you’re weeping into your pint of Miller Light, peanut shells littering the floor, that you’ll fully appreciate this Ryan Adams-produced mixture of blues and heart-broken country.
Even in that dim light, Songbird doesn’t seem to fully measure up to the best of Nelson’s previous work.
The album consists mostly of covers, which might be its biggest drawback. In my experience, Nelson is at his best singing his own lyrics, sharing his stories and emotions, in his own quiet, dignified way. Indeed, the strongest track on the album is Nelson-written ‘Back To Earth’. In contrast, covers of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird’ are wincingly disconnected and cold.
The blame in this regard falls mainly on the decision to use Ryan Adams band, The Cardinals, as backing. Their more electrified, rock ‘n’ roll sound doesn’t mesh nearly as well with Nelson’s voice as the softer instrumental tones we’re used to.
That’s not to say that Nelson doesn’t sing as well as ever, if not better in parts. The man has lived every bit of gravel and wisdom in his voice. His crooning on tracks like ‘Yours Love’, ‘$1000 Wedding’ and ‘Stella Blue’ is just sublime. But overall, Songbird is not one of the great Willie Nelson albums. It’s only just good.