Till the Light Comes (Bonus Track Version)

Jackie Greene’s previous albums took a serious and tight approach to his songwriting, demanding comparisons to Bob Dylan as Greene turned in one chunky performance after another. With producer Tim Bluhm at the helm, Greene attempts to slick up his sound with back-up singers, thrilling organs and songs that put the hooks closer to the center. It’s an interesting direction. “Shaky Ground” throws together a Tom Petty-like crash and burn. “Stranger In Sand” could be Slow Train Coming-era Dylan. “Grindstone” adds a quickstep to its backbeat, while “A Moment of Temporary Color” takes the San Francisco beatnik in Greene and sends him into the heartland. “Spooky Tina” twists a rockabilly vibe towards an AOR presentation. “1961” and “The Holy Land” strip things back to Greene’s natural tone. “Take Me Back In Time” signals his true desires: he’d love to be a beatnik, a jazz player, an R&B shouter, a Greenwich Village folkie and sometimes he comes close. It’s that yearning to be brought in from the cold that makes him such an endearing musical figure. “Revolution Man” is a tough funky-blues bonus cut that provides the perfect big band sound.