Journalists are fond of calling the last 3 Dylan albums a “trilogy”. At the very least, TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE should lay such notions to rest. By now, Dylan fans should have come to understand their avatar’s impulsive and elusive nature. Something as premeditated and pretentious as a “trilogy” is not in the cards. So let’s leave that at the door.

No, this isn’t another ‘masterpiece.’ It casts any such expectations aside like a snake shedding its skin. Dylan mythologists will salivate and proclaim it genius while discerning critics might dismiss it in light of the acclaim MODERN TIMES recieved. But without a doubt, TOGETHER is just as inspired as anything he’s cut since 1997’s TIME OUT OF MIND.

A few things set TOGETHER apart. David Hidalgo’s accordion lends a definite Tex Mex quality to the proceedings. Where Dylan’s previous offerings seemed steeped in the mythology of the Old South, Together gives you the impression of being set in an endless string of Texas boarder towns.

Overall, the production is grittier and more intimate to the point of being nearly claustrophobic. Listen to it through ear phones and you’re likely to come away with a different experience than on the stereo.

Another thing that characterizes TOGETHER is its obsessive focus on a single theme. These are all love songs. From the romantic abandon of ‘Beyond Here Lies Nothing’ to the sarcastic resignation of ‘It’s All Good’, herein lies a long, winding road from infatuation to betrayal, to bitterness to restless farewell.

Highlights include ‘Beyond Here’ and ‘It’s All Good’ which bookend the album. Both are rollicking and upbeat, while still holding on to a brooding intensity. Other standouts are the wistful Dream Of You and My Wife’s Home Town which somehow manages to switch hats between humour and anguish. Listen closely and you can hear Dylan chuckle mid-song.

Most notable is ‘Life Is Hard.’ The fragility in Dylan’s delivery is for lack of a better word, moving. When he rises from his signature rusty growl to wary heights of his upper register it’s enough to put a lump in your throat. As for the likes of ‘Shake Shake Mama’, it might come off as filler, till the line, “I get the blues for you baby when I look up at the sun.”

TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE may not be as sprawling and epic compared to what came before. Nor will it have the same milestone impact of TIME OUT OF MIND. But for this fan, “it’s all good” even if it’s not proclaimed a masterpiece. At the very least its a solid effort, proving he’s still in the saddle and not quite ready to let go of the reigns. I do have the sense however, that on down the line, TOGETHER might just prove to be a unique gem in Dylan’s formidable 46 album catalogue.

5/5

Kevin H. Orton of The Maledictions

www.myspace.com/themaledictions