T BONE BURNETT

The Other Side ★★★★★

Stream: The Pain of Love, Sometimes I Wonder,

Whether jamming with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen or soundtracking projects such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, 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, the 76-year-old is a master of maximalism. He has, as a producer, sprinkled his evocative touch on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s 2007 folk-rock triumph Raising Sand and assembled the eerie score on early seasons of True Detective – his musical cues a key component of the show’s creepy power.

But his excellent new LP The Other Side is entirely different. This 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). They chime in with bittersweet acoustic ballad “Waiting for You” and help Burnett to whip up a bluesy storm on the melodramatic “The Pain of Love”.

He also teams up with Johnny’s daughter, Rosanne Cash, 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”, 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.