Robyn Ludwick
Too Much Desire (Freedom)Robyn Ludwick did two things that will forever imprint her career: She chose not to use her illustrious maiden name, Robison, and she waited until she was good and ready to seriously pursue music. On this, her second album, she describes her songwriting as “Southern poetry with dirt floors and electric guitars,” and that’s spot-on, though she might consider substituting “Texas” for “Southern.” When she sings, “I like my whiskey, and I like my men,” on “Desire,” she does so with a salty confidence that would sound less believable coming from a younger woman. Ludwick is looking 30 in the eye with a toddler on her hip, a transitional stage that makes it easy for her music to cut to the bone (“’72 Texas,” “Julia Odessa”). Too Much Desire benefits from brothers Bruce and Charlie, as well as husband John Ludwick, but the album’s charm and substance are pure Robyn.
This article appears in April 11 • 2008.