Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart

Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released on June 30, 2023, by Highway 20 Records with distribution by Thirty Tigers.

The album was announced on April 4, 2023, simultaneously with the release of its lead single "New York Comeback", which features Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa on backing vocals. The second single, "Stolen Moments", was released on April 21, 2023. A third single, "Where the Song Will Find Me", was released on May 26, 2023.

Critical reception
Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic from 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. AnyDecentMusic? sums up critical consensus as an 7.5 out of 10, with ten reviews. Classic Rock wrote that the album "is all heart, the camaraderie is immense, and Williams assures listeners that's it's not dark yet", and Uncut remarked that there is "little on her 16th album to suggest it's anything other than business as usual". Dylan Barnabe of Exclaim! called the album "all heart" and opined that "Williams not only makes her triumphant return but also showcases the true spirit of rock 'n' roll" and "her perseverance in the face of adversity is truly inspiring, and these stories are tales to live by". Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter stated: "These stories resonate with strength and an irrepressible spirit few other artists can summon. Williams' ability to persevere over issues that would sideline lesser talents and create music this impressive is a testament to the vitality of her rock 'n' roll heart."

AllMusic's Mark Deming gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote: "Stories from a Rock 'n' Roll Heart isn't the triumphant return some might have hoped for, but for its flaws, it shows Williams hasn't lost her spark or her determination to create." He also singled out the tracks "Stolen Moments", "This Is Not My Town", and "Last Call for the Truth" as "soulful and evocative tales of bruised emotions and lives out of balance", and concluded "even when the songwriting is below Williams' average, her vocals are still a wondrous mix of toughness and fragility, and the album sounds great, with a superb studio band generating the right blend of rock 'n' roll swagger and bluesy loneliness."

Personnel

 * Lucinda Williams – composer, vocals, producer
 * Steve Ferrone - drums
 * Fred Eltringham - drums
 * Will Sayles - drums
 * Steve Mackie - bass
 * Stuart Mathis – electric guitar
 * Doug Pettibone - electric guitar, steel guitar
 * Joshua Grange - electric guitar
 * Derek Cruz - electric guitar
 * Stuart Mathis - electric guitar
 * Jim Oblon - electric guitar
 * Reese Wynans - B3, piano, Vox Jaguar organ
 * Rob Clores - piano
 * Margo Price - tambourine, backing vocals
 * Angel Olsen - backing vocals
 * Jeremy Ivey - backing vocals
 * Siobhan Maher Kennedy - backing vocals
 * Buddy Miller - backing vocals
 * Sophie Gault - backing vocals
 * Bruce Springsteen - backing vocals
 * Patti Scialfa - backing vocals
 * Tommy Stinson - backing vocals
 * Lawrence Rothman - arranged & recorded strings, horns, chamberlin and Novachord
 * Daniel Bacigalupi – assistant
 * Danny Clinch – photography
 * Ray Kennedy – engineer, mixing, producer, tambourine, acoustic guitar, Vox Continental organ
 * Colin Lott – assistant engineer
 * Pete Lyman – mastering
 * Jesse Malin – composer
 * Tom Overby – composer, producer
 * Phillip Smith – assistant engineer
 * Travis Stephens – composer, acoustic guitar
 * Andy West – design