Orpheus Descending
follows quickly on the heels of
Strictly a One-Eyed Jack
, the 2022 album that found
John Mellencamp
returning after a five-year silence. There, he invited
Bruce Springsteen
into the studio for a few songs, a nod to their shared past as heartland rockers. Here, the guest isn't as big a star, but the connection may run deeper. Much of
features a returning
Lisa Germano
, the violinist who played with the rocker from 1987's
The Lonesome Jubilee
through 1998's
, tending to an adventurous solo career all the while.
Germano
's presence accentuates how
Mellencamp
is returning to the earthy, rangy roots rock of
Big Daddy
, a sound that seemed slightly out of time in the 1980s and now feels somewhat traditional;
's blend of sinewy rhythms and burnished acoustics is recognizably his, yet it draws upon a sound that's now part of a shared past. It's a sound that's aged well, and
has aged within it. His voice has been weathered to a nub; he now sounds eternal, even primal. His leathery croak helps give this lean, direct music a gravelly anchor that
offsets with her lithe, graceful support. Listening to their interplay gives
an unexpected emotional kick that helps the record transcend the occasional overly literal lyric from
, such as the lead single "The Eyes of Portland." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine