Weekly Release Spotlight: Tom Waits
Posted on 11/14/2011
Tom Waits
Bad As Me
Anti-
Bad As Me
Anti-
2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Tom Waits cannot be stopped. 61 years old, Waits dropped his seventeenth studio album Bad As Me last month. His first studio album with all new material in seven years fails to disappoint. Retaining his old school bluesy style and his desire for musical experimentation, Bad As Me serves as a blast from the past for both long-time Tom Waits followers and those who are just beginning to discover his brilliance. Progressive yet retro, listening to Bad As Me is like stepping into a time machine on shuffle-mode. A blend of musical genres like jazz, blues, and rock work cohesively to make an album that is easy to enjoy.
The opening track “Chicago” is short and up-tempo with a variety of layered guitar riffs and saxophone parts, generating a spurt of energy and passion that is maintained throughout the album. From there it jumps into the slower yet powerful “Raised Right Men”, a track in which Waits boasts his signature growling voice that one could argue draws comparisons to blues legend Howlin’ Wolf. Accompanied by a sharp, eerie organ that jabs at a contrasting, smooth, walking bass line, track number two is definitely one of the hits off of the album. “Get Lost” is a catchy, toe-tapping piece that sounds like something that might have been played at a hoppin’ dance in the 1950s. The title track “Bad As Me” features yet another excellent vocal performance by Waits. Cartoonish and deranged, his singing is one of the more entertaining aspects of this jam that is already overflowing with heavy musical activity. Perhaps the most intense song on the album, “Hell Broke Luce” is angry, wild, and raw. Waits’ lyrics explode with opposition towards the forces of government and war. This song rocks harder than any other on the album and serves as a phenomenal reward for the loyal listener as the album winds to a close.
Tom Waits delivers another great album for his ever-growing fan base to appreciate. Bad As Me contains songs with so many different musical dynamics and layers of instruments, it must be heard firsthand as summarized descriptions do not serve it justice. The lyrics are far from bland; Waits still manages to keep his style fresh after decades of writing music. An album definitely worth your time and attention, Bad As Me should be number one on your list of new albums to check out this month.
Stream: Tom Waits - "Bad As Me"