Boz Scaggs
returns to the arena in the thoroughly modern
Dig
, four years after his much-acclaimed return to traditional
R&B
on
Come on Home
. This takes no small bit of courage for an artist like
Scaggs
, who has reveled in obscurity for most of the '80s and '90s.
won the man all sorts of critical platitudes for making unfashionable roots music in a highly unlikely time. It showed, of course, in that the record sold barely respectably.
is, if anything, a hyper-modern take on
.
and co-producers
David Paich
(who co-wrote virtually all the material here) and guitarist
Danny Kortchmar
have embraced modern production, recording, and mixing techniques in the same way
did on
Silk Degrees
(whose part two this is definitely not). The result is simply a very fine
adult contemporary
take on
rhythm & blues
that showcases
in the finest voice he's given us in decades, a solid batch of tunes, and very few irritating elements.
' use of
hip-hop
methodologies in tracks like
"Desire,"
with
Michael Rodriguez
's programming, is subtle enough to add atmosphere to an already beautiful song. The tune is a
ballad
so smooth and streetwise, so late-night in feel and sentiment, the
Timberland
rhythm just underlines the spooky guitars and
' sweet crooning; in fact, his voice here sounds better than it ever has. There are other modernisms that
employs here that would have been better left on the cutting room floor, such as his insistence on rapping on
"Get On the Natch,"
where he sounds like a
Wal-Mart
cross between
Frank Zappa
"Dina Moe Hum"
and
Tom Waits
from
Bone Machine
. But there are only a couple of moments like that; his
blues
roots manifest themselves well on
"King of El Paso"
and his embrace of
Latin
-tinged
pop
suits him well on
"Call That Love."
While it's a slick record in typical
fashion, it's a slim cast of characters who pull it all off -- mainly
,
Paich
, and
Kortchmar
(who is as fine a guitarist as ever), with guests like
Ray Parker, Jr.
, pedal steel god
Steve Lukather
jazz
trumpeter
Roy Hargrove Jr.
lending their hands in various spots. For a guy everybody said was in the hallmark of memory,
is making remarkably refreshing and compelling music.
is mature enough to resonate well with his aging audience, and it's slick and polished enough to catch the ear of
radio programmers. With precious few rough spots,
is a
triumph by a sleight-of-sound master. ~ Thom Jurek