Keith Richards
Crosseyed Heart
REPUBLIC
5/10
Keith Richards and cockroaches, as the joke goes, will outlive us all. Now in his seventies (and with no sign of slowing down) Richards has become an elder statesman of his craft, growing into the role of grizzled blues guitar god and living a life of luxury as one of the founders of The Rolling Stones. However, while The Stones have managed to keep making records well past a bands’ typical expiration date. Richards has tempted fate much less frequently, this new solo album being only his third, and coming after a two-decade break.
Crosseyed Heart brings together much of the team that Richards enlisted in the creation of his first solo records back in 1988 and 1992, and guests including Norah Jones, Aaron Neville, dear departed sax player Bobby Keys, and other seasoned veterans ensure that the tunes are infused with soul and style. The short opening title track reminds us that Richards is foremost a great guitar player—his skillful picking here is inspired. The album unfolds as an extended jam session with a mix of bluesy mid-tempo rockers and slower ballads augmented by Richards’ soulful croak of a voice (“Robbed Blind,” “Amnesia”). Yes, all the tracks are performed masterfully, but the essential creative spark that made Richards a master in the first place is sorely missing.
