Kris Kristofferson's new record, "This Old Road," is his first set of new material in 11 years and finds the legendary songwriter accompanied, for the most part, by just his guitar, direct and unadorned, with all attention focused on the songs themselves, which are cutting and tender in equal measure, and often at the same time. On the rare occasions when the band members kick in, though, they're a bit too good to ignore -- it takes a performer of Kristofferson's exalted position to pull together a group of musicians like Jim Keltner, Don Was and Stephen Bruton. "Chase the Feeling" is the best of those band tracks, a simple, bluesy, sung-spoken song about destructive behavior and addiction, wise and insightful and not so much passing judgment as just acknowledging the futility of it all.
-- T.B.
Kris Kristofferson's new record "This Old Road," his first set of new material in 11 years, finds the legendary songwriter accompanied, for the most part, by just his guitar, direct and unadorned, with all attention focused on the songs themselves, which are cutting and tender in equal measure, and often at the same time. On the rare occasions that the band kicks in, though, they're a bit too good to ignore -- it takes a performer of Kristofferson's exalted position to pull together a group of musicians like Jim Keltner, Don Was and Stephen Bruton. "Chase the Feeling" is the best of those band tracks, a simple, bluesy, sung-spoken song about destructive behavior and addiction, wise and insightful without so much passing judgement as just acknowledging the futility of it all.
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