(New West/Shock)

He might be getting on a bit, but he’s as reliable as ever.

If he’s not exactly a legend, he’s certainly a stayer – this is John Hiatt’s 20th album in a career that spans more than 30 years. In that time, he’s become a musician’s musician, penning songs for all kinds of people, from Bob Dylan to Iggy Pop. For all that though, his own albums have a homely, almost rumpled feeling to them. He’s steeped in the roots of American music and comfortably combines elements of country, blues and rock into unpretentious, earthy singalongs. And that’s exactly what he does on this self-produced effort. On the face of it, the results could be called modest or even plain – the song titles alone suggest that. But this is an old hand who knows how to inject some playfulness into his laidback style, regardless of whether he’s reminiscing about the blues masters he’s worked with (Old Days), a fiery but doomed love (Cherry Red) or even food (Our Time). Though nostalgia and reflections are clearly a part of this, Hiatt is more interested in the lessons learned along the way, and it’s these that inform his view looking back. Even after such an eventful journey as his, Hiatt proves he’s still in it for the ride.

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BILL HOLDSWORTH

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