Kind Heaven

Alt-rock godfather is best known for his pivotal role in , but in the years between breakups and reunions for his best-known band, the singer always kept active with other projects. In addition to more traditional bands like , sporadically worked on solo material. is his third solo album, following a winding path from 1999's , a piecemeal compilation of various -related rarities, to 2001's confusing mishmash of spiritual electronica . is every bit as ambitious an album as we've come to expect from , but it's more in line with the eclectic hard rock energy of his most popular work. Politics, sex, and hope for the future are all filtered through 's distinctive presence on the album's nine songs. The tracks "(red white and blue) Cheerfulness" and "Pirate Punk Politician" both have the same hard-hitting feel of classic grooves, the latter updated with hints of dubstep production. plays to his strengths, his trademark high-pitched and heavily delayed vocals sitting high in the mix. Production from rock royalty brings a clarity to 's weird musings, transforming a stream-of-consciousness vamp like "Snakes Have Many Hips" into a sleazy blur of chamber pop glam rock. duets with his wife, , on several tracks like the high-tension ode to lust "Machine Girl." While wanders through various strange inspirations, the songs feel connected and focused in a way hadn't managed on earlier solo albums, or even on fantastic but overreaching albums from other projects. The flow is cohesive but varied, allowing interesting ideas to really pop when they arrive. Album closer "Let's All Pray for This World" begins with a swell of classical strings and bright acoustic guitars, standing out from the sultry rock that makes up much of the album but also making sense as a final track. At this point, is an elder statesman of forward-thinking rock music, and the swim of angular ideas that make up is further evidence of his one-of-a-kind perspective. ~ Fred Thomas