POP MUSIC REVIEW : Williams’ Songwriting Prowess Stands Out at Roxy

Victoria Williams is probably best known for last year’s album “Sweet Relief,” a benefit record to assist the singer-songwriter’s fight with multiple sclerosis and her efforts to establish health care for uninsured musicians.

The project, featuring such artists as the Lemonheads, Pearl Jam and Soul Asylum interpreting her songs, brought Williams’ music to the larger alternative rock world, but the Louisiana native’s down-home songs--many about growing up in the South--have been acclaimed in smaller camps for nearly a decade.

On Wednesday, the first of two sold-out nights at the Roxy, the Los Angeles-based Williams showed that her tunes are often more palatable when done by others. Her gratingly high and awkward voice made for tough listening, though her quirky persona and odd pitches did make the set all the more personal and image-evoking.

Dressed in a loose frock and tattered boots, Williams applied her cartoonish Southern accent to her own material and such standards as “Moon River” and “What a Wonderful World,” accompanying herself on piano and guitar while a band that grew as large as eight members added a rich backdrop.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum, whose version of “Summer of Drugs” was one of the biggest hits from “Sweet Relief,” joined her for three strong songs, then Williams’ husband Mark Olson, of the country-rock band the Jayhawks, joined her for the finest moments of the two-hour show. The two shot the songs to a pinnacle of emotion and harmony, exposing the utter warmth of Williams’ songwriting.