Willie Nile- Streets Of New York

Here is not just a great, but possibly classic album, especially considering it was made by a 57 year old rock veteran with more passion and intelligence in it than most younger artists will be able to muster in their entire careers. Nile has never made a record this good, or this accesible in his career. There isn't a bad track here, and certain ones (the opener "Welcome To My Head", the supreme jangling of "Best Friends Money Can Buy" and the phenomenal "Game Of Fools" would be hits in any just musical universe. While these songs are the catchiest, they don't form the albums core. That is found in the variation from track to track. "Back Home" channels Dylan circa Blonde On Blonde about as good as I have ever heard. "The Day I Saw Bo Diddley In Washington Square" is played as a catchy as hell Irish jig, which it's title wouldn't indicate at all. "Whole World With You" is a beautiful love song played as a hard rocker, and the next track "On Some Rainy Day" is just a beautiful love song. It's stunning how many great hooks and passionate songs are on this album, and it is certainly one of the best of the last 5 years, if not the entire decade. Info in comments.