The King of Love

One has to ask why in the name of heaven allowed to be the opening track on his first album in two years. Perhaps it was a concession to , or he had a momentary lapse of reason. Whatever the reason, it's one of the most unlistenable, sugary sweet, slicker than schlock excuses for a song to be heard in close to a decade. It's the only track here didn't write or co-write, and it wasn't picked as the first single (thank God), so what the hell? Luckily, the 14 other songs here are substantially better. produced this album (all but that cursed track) and did a fine job. It's a lot more polished than his Austin material, but the songs themselves are inspired, the arrangements are spare enough to let the subtle emotion in his voice come through the grain in the music, and the performances themselves are solid. Standout tracks include a duet with the inimitably brilliant , and the title track, with its shuffle done on acoustic guitars with a snarling electric in the background before it explodes into a pure extravaganza. The old roots of 's New York past come through in a stunning vocal performance. The B-sharp in the background shimmering above the guitars is a particularly nice touch. The passion in 's voice, with in the background, cracks the track wide open and what spills out is a truth that both singer and listener can believe in. The evidence here suggests -- as it does on his other recordings -- that couldn't write a bad song if he tried. His work is fine; there are no extra words cluttering up his stories, no overblown phrases and rambling ellipses. The bluesy shuffle in and the near funky are nice twists that might have been better served if he employed Austin's to back him instead of his own band, but they're still fine cuts. makes an appropriate appearance on ; given his own penchant for tools and woodworking, it's a full of dobro and fiddles and bouzouki. The hippest track here, a co-write with , has echoes of 's but digs deeper into the with backing vocals by . The fretless bassline and bodhran in make a simple song into a gorgeous tune, with its shape-shifting lines and atmospherics. It's as if were producing . In sum, has given listeners a fine example of where he's at as a songwriter and proves himself as a producer, as this is a solid work -- other than the one offending moment (why didn't he place it last?). is a fine outing, full of passion, verve, soul, and honesty. ~ Thom Jurek