Though he’s been a treasured and beloved fixture on the Pacific Northwest folk scene for nearly 30 years, it’s testament to singer, songwriter and well-traveled troubadour’s status as a musical citizen of the world that he launches his majestic, insightful, soulful and infectiously tuneful 13th album Let the Longing Run Wild & Free with “New York City/Brooklyn Bridge,” a rollicking, witty and incisively descriptive romp through both the magic and gritty troubles of the Big Apple that could naturally follow in the footsteps of Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and Jay-Z/Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” as the city’s anthem.
There’s nothing quite as irresistible on the rest of the eight track collection as the chorus of voice singing the hook, but, there are countless pleasures, both lyrically/poetically and musically, on the journey from NYC through the dark, bluesy and ambient, Leonard Cohenesque closer “Happy Halloween.”
Another geographically centered gem is the musically brooding yet lyrically hopeful “Louisiana,” which namechecks Baton Rouge and Lafayette but also San Francisco as a point of origin for this sojourn seeking brighter days. With the exception of the whimsically frolicsome, fast grooving and steel guitar fired rock/blues of “I Listened to You Sing,” most of the album finds Blake in contemplative mode, whether he’s sowing the conflicting emotions of “Making It All Disappear,” expressing regret about having spoken the wrong words and listened better (“Stayed”) or reflecting darkly on moments along a once colorful romantic journey that he can never have back (the elegiac “Drift”).
Emotionally and thematically, the singer throws in one cool outlier, “Bridges,” presumably to break the edgy mood a bit and show that wonder is still possible amidst a world of sorrow and regret. While the title is usually employed as a symbol connecting events in life, Blake sings his poetry straight, starting with “I’m awed by bridges/They fill me with wonder” and even marveling in the weeds of construction (“Architect with the plans/Artist with the design/Engineer with equations…” While mostly low key vocally, the musical energy is rich, deep and dynamic throughout, with Blake’s vision enjoying the powerful supportive thrust of longtime collaborators Lee Falco, Brandon Morrison, Will Bryant, and Connor Kennedy (familiar names to Hudson Valley music fans), along with Cindy Cashdollar (featured on Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind).
For those new to the Blake aesthetic, Let the Longing Run Wild & Free is a marvel to experience, perfectly embodying Sunset in the Rearview’s description of his vast artistry; “His ability to turn a moment into a story, one that every audience member is a part of, is one of the best forms of... entertainment.”