T-BONE BURNETT : THE OTHER SIDE

T BONE BURNETT : THE OTHER SIDE

He Came Down
Come Back (When You Go Away)
(I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day (with Rosanne Cash)
Waiting For You (with Lucius)
The Pain of Love (with Lucius)
The Race Is Won (with Lucius)
Sometimes I Wonder (with Weyes Blood)
Hawaiian Blue Song (with Steven Soles)
The First Light Of Day
Everything And Nothing
The Town That Time Forgot (with Lucius)
Little Darling (with Lucius)

Label : UMG

Length : 39:55

Release Date : April 19, 2024

Review (AllMusic) : Most good songwriters and producers understand the value of spontaneous inspiration, and T-Bone Burnett's long and distinguished career establishes him as somewhat better than "good." In 2019, he released The Invisible Light: Acoustic Space, which he announced would be the first installment in a trilogy of albums that would be the summation of what he has to say as an artist and his final work as a musician. The second chapter, The Invisible Light: Spells, appeared in 2022, but while working on the final chapter, Burnett treated himself to a new guitar, and in the space of a few weeks he wrote enough songs for an LP that falls outside the confines of the Invisible Light series, changing the tone of his final act. If the Invisible Light albums were clearly meant to be a grand statement about humanity surrendering to technology accompanied by percussion and synthesized sounds, 2024's The Other Side is nearly its polar opposite. It's a collection of 12 songs of uncluttered eloquence informed by Burnett's belief in the human spirit, while the arrangements are almost exclusively taken up by acoustic instruments and vocals. Of the previous albums in his catalog, The Other Side most closely resembles 1986's T-Bone Burnett in its straightforward and naturalistic sound, while the opening track, "He Came Down," recalls the intelligent meditations on Christianity that dotted his early albums; however, most of these songs are about love, simple in their construction but deceptively deep in their contemplation of the demands and consequences of caring for other people. Burnett also takes occasional detours into his concerns about a world mired in greed and pride, themes that have long been present in his work but with special urgency on the Invisible Light projects. The Other Side's arrangements are so spartan that they don't even feature drums, with the guitars of Burnett and Colin Linden and the string bass of Dennis Crouch dominant among the instruments and the vocal duo Lucius lending lovely harmonies on several tracks that reinforce this album's intimacy. While the collected aphorisms of "Everything and Nothing" and the witty breakup tune "(I'm Gonna Get Over This) Some Day" (the latter featuring Rosanne Cash) show Burnett hasn't lost his sharp wit or cleverness, this time out, he's more concerned with speaking from the heart, and in this case it pays off. In its sincerity, elegance, and compassion, The Other Side is one of T-Bone Burnett's warmest and most emotionally resonant works, and if it's less ambitious than the Invisible Light albums, it's a powerful example of what he does best as a songwriter, a vocalist, and a producer. Perhaps someone should get him another new guitar and see if he has another LP this good waiting for us.

Review (Americana Highways) : Sometimes our subconscious is more aware than we are, especially when communicating the allegories that play out in our everyday lives. Who better to interpret these stories and appeal to our senses than Grammy-and Oscar-winner, T Bone Burnett. The Other Side, his first solo album in 20 years, was co-produced by Colin Linden, Mike Piersante and Burnett. The album features Rosanne Cash and an early bandmate Steven Soles, as well as Lucius, Weyes Blood, Dennis Crouch, Stuart Duncan, Jay Bellarose and Rory Hoffman. “He Came Down,” both title and repeating phrase, kicks off the country blues record with lovely guitar playing. It’s a beautiful pastoral folk song with biblical imagery and legendary archetypes. After playing a few notes for his wife, she liked it very much and encouraged Burnett to go with it. Burnett’s country blues song craft continues with an ambling guitar track, “Come Back (When You Go Away).” A wilting slide signals the beginning to something mysterious, as the plot begins to reveal a couple that may or may not be here on Earth anymore, and a hope that one day they will return. Working with gifted artists through his career, Burnett’s altruistic approach has supported them to greatness. Now it’s Burnett’s turn to welcome the accompaniment from folks like his good friend Rosanne Cash, with Dennis Crouch on bass, on the spirited journey on the next song “(I’m Gonna Get Over This ) Some Day.” This melodiousness is immediately reminiscent of classic country and the Everly brothers style. Additionally, “Waiting For You,” “The Pain Of Love” and “The Race is Won” feature the celestial vocals of duo Lucius accompanying T Bone’s soft singing. Lucius was inspired to create their own magical parts for this. In “The Pain of Love” Burnett accents word plays that pay tribute to Johnny Cash and George Harrison’s songwriting. The second half of the record continues with “Sometimes I Wonder” and features Weyes Blood and her sweet counter melody lines. It’s an easy blues song that harkens back to Burnett’s first love of music while growing up in Fort Worth. As you near the end of the record, the mysterious couple takes center stage, spotlighting one man’s search and wanderings as the theme of otherworldliness continues. Driving tension to the netherworld, Lucius returns for The Time That Time Forgot” (I’ve never seen her face / I was always a step behind / Or maybe she’s here now and I’m just blind”) and the beautiful closer “Little Darling,” completing the album’s tale. Listeners will experience Burnett’s story through his vast musical landscape and his love of all forms of writing. It’s no wonder he is both a masterful producer and legendary songwriter. The Other Side, out on Verve Forecast, awakens our spirit through American roots song-writing mastery. Find more information on his tour dates and more on his website here: https://tboneburnett.com Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: T Bone Burnett “The Invisible Light: Spells” The album was recorded by Mike Stankiewicz at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville, TN; by Michael Piersante at East Iris Studios in Nashville and The Village Studio Z, Los Angeles; and by Colin Linden at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville. It was mixed by Michael Piersante at The Village Studio Z in Los Angeles; mastered by Gavin Lurssen and Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering; and produced by Colin Linden, Michael Piersante & T Bone Burnett.

Review (iNews) : Whether jamming with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen or soundtracking projects such as O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and True Detective, T Bone Burnett is one of Americana’s greatest sidemen. He has rarely claimed the spotlight for himself, however, which is why his first solo record in 20 years is such a pleasing revelation. In his behind-the-scenes endeavours, Burnett, now 76, is a master of maximalism. In the past several decades, he has, in his capacity as producer, sprinkled his evocative touch on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s 2007 super-sized folk-rock triumph Raising Sand (winner of multiple Grammys) and assembled the eerie score on early seasons of the aforementioned True Detective – his musical cues a crucial component of the show’s creepy power. But his excellent new LP, The Other Side, is entirely different. A concept record about a “mysterious couple” having adventures in an otherworldly America is raw and emotive. To his credit, Burnett isn’t afraid to sound vulnerable – his husky vocals brim with a late-hours ennui similar to that which made the veteran Johnny Cash’s American Recordings so essential. Burnett plays well with others, and five of the 12 tracks are co-written by the indie duo Lucius (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig). Having toured with Roger Waters, they know how to work with craggy elder statesmen, and their partnership with Burnett is a treat. They chime in with bittersweet acoustic ballad “Waiting for You” and help Burnett whip up a bluesy storm on the melodramatic “The Pain of Love”. He also teams up with Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny) on the ballad “(I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day”, where their singing – his gruff and guarded, hers light and liquid – intertwines beautifully. Most striking of all is his get-together with Natalie Mering, AKA Weyes Blood, on “Sometimes I Wonder”. It’s a folksy dirge, driven by his chugging guitar and her haunting backing, which confirms that, even when going solo, Burnett is one of the best collaborators around.