had always been a phenomenal guitarist, but prior to , his songwriting was hit or miss. Even when he wrote a classic modern song, it was firmly within the genre's conventions; only on 's exquisite did he attempt to stretch the boundaries of the form. As it turns out, that was the keynote for , an album where found his own songwriting voice, blending , , and in unique ways, and writing with startling emotional honesty. Yes, there are a few covers, all well chosen, but the heart of the album rests in the songs he co-wrote with , the man who penned the highlight proved to be an ideal collaborator for ; tunes like the terse and the dense feel so intensely personal, it's hard to believe that they weren't the product of just one man. Yet the lighter numbers -- the dynamite boogie and the breakneck of -- are just as effective as songs. Of course, he didn't need words to make effective music: is a blistering instrumental, complete with intricate fingerpicking reminiscent of the great guitarist , while the shimmering is every bit as lyrical and lovely as his previous charmer, The magnificent thing about is how it's fully realized, presenting every facet of 's musical personality, yet it still soars with a sense of discovery. It's a bittersweet triumph, given 's tragic death a little over a year after its release, yet it's a triumph all the same. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine