After spending much of the '90s touring and simply not writing songs,
Bob Dylan
returned in 1997 with
Time Out of Mind
, his first collection of new material in seven years. Where
Under the Red Sky
, his last collection of original compositions, had a casual, tossed-off feel,
is carefully considered, from the densely detailed songs to the dark, atmospheric production. Sonically, the album is reminiscent of
Oh Mercy
, the last album
Dylan
recorded with producer
Daniel Lanois
, but
has a grittier foundation -- by and large, the songs are bitter and resigned, and
gives them appropriately anguished performances.
Lanois
bathes them in hazy, ominous sounds, which may suit the spirit of the lyrics, but are often in opposition to
's performances. Consequently, the album loses a little of its emotional impact, yet the songs themselves are uniformly powerful, adding up to
's best overall collection in years. It's a better, more affecting record than
, not only because the songs have a stronger emotional pull, but because
hasn't sanded away all the grit. As a result, the songs retain their power, leaving
as one of the rare latter-day
albums that meets his high standards. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine