Get past Vic's creaky, out-of-tune voice and you'll be rewarded. In fact, on Musings of a Creekdipper, Williams' voice becomes a boon for the songs; on this album she is less the wise wandering troubadour than a cheery grandmother telling wonderful, uplifting stories from memory, without any tinge of pretense, just beautifully woven folktales filled with images and poetry, helped along by a stellar cast of support players (including the sorely missed Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman) and Trina Shoemaker's diverse, rich production."Periwinkle Sky" is like a bedtime story with its buoyant melody and spirited lyrics;"Train Song" evokes the screeching wheels of an old locomotive and even imitates that slight crankiness that old folks can carry when recounting social changes they disapprove of; and"Let It Be So" is an affecting song about devotion (written by Williams for a wedding), with astonishing vocal harmonies and a quiet musical backdrop that evokes the feel of mature, relaxed romantic desire perfectly.