it has been over five years since mark knopfler’s last record, and i think it is a great addition to his catalog. as he ages, each successive release gets a little mellower, but his songwriting and guitarwork are still very much there, and there is a nice variety of genres to keep things interesting.

the album and the title track both reference the river tyne, which bisects his childhood home of newcastle. the cover depicts the bridge that traverses the river, the same river he crossed in 1973 after he left his wife and his job to move to london to seek out his musical career. he recalls that moment on ‘watch me gone’.

many of the stories seem to be looking back in time, either true or fictional. ‘tunnel 13’ is a real life tale of a train robbery gone bad, and ‘sweeter than the rain’ seems to try to reconstruct a difficult encounter with a past partner.

he assembled a large batch of musicians who have played with him before and the sound is very comfortable and inspired. it was recorded in his british grove studio, one of the highest end studios in england.

as the spring weather is breaking, this is a good one to put on at the end of the day with your favorite beverage (or two).

off to new orleans later this week for jazzfest, and i hope to come back with some good discoveries.