Blackjack David

Dave Alvin has become one of America's great unsung songwriting heroes. His unflinching portraits of modern romance-on-the rocks set the Blasters apart from their roots rocking peers in the early 1980s. In the 1990s, his solo work moved closer to contemporary folk, meaning that the same guys who once tried to steal his guitar licks are now trying to copy his lyric lines. They'll find plenty to plunder here, from the outstanding "Abilene" to "The Way You Say Good-Bye." Occasionally, as on "New Highway," Alvin starts to repeat himself, but he does it with such authority, with such a world-weary sigh, that it hardly matters. Steel guitar whiz and longtime Alvin compadre Greg Leisz offers tasteful, mostly acoustic production throughout. --Michael Ruby