True Meanings [Deluxe Edition]

Consider 's comedown from a combustive, creative decade begun with . That 2008 double album was co-produced with , who proved to be such a vital collaborator for that the singer/songwriter found it difficult to shake off the producer's influence after the two parted ways acrimoniously in 2012. 's initial reaction to the split was to follow the straight and narrow on 2017's appealing but , delivered just a year later, finds him mellowing and entering a reflective groove. No amplifiers are cranked on : the entire enterprise is anchored on folky finger-picking and strumming, which is in turn dressed in elegant orchestrations. Often, the lush strings and gentle horns are reminiscent of the orchestrations arranged for 's and , yet doesn't carry a melancholy undercurrent. is in a sober mood but he's not brooding, he's reflecting. Thoughts of mortality drift across his mind -- such as in "Bowie," a tribute that's more elliptical than its title suggests -- but seems settled and comfortable, more mindful than sad. The stateliness of the orchestral arrangements prevents from slipping into a hazy folk netherworld. All the strings and brass not only accentuate the songs, highlighting the jazzy changes of "Soul Searchers" or the light swing of "Gravity," they help frame this measured song cycle, directing attention to how isn't wallowing, he's meditating upon love, loss, and hope as he enters his sixties. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine