Rock
Itâs a case of sweet and sour. First the sweet. For his 42nd studio album, stuffed with a bumper 28 tracks, Van Morrison has written some of his most compelling bluesy melodies in an age. And his voice, as he approaches his 76th birthday, is in fine shape, his timing and tone the mark of an artist still engaged, still eager to make his mark and prove his worth. He is in the groove, as indeed are his sizzling band with Richard Dunnâs Hammond organ, the albumâs signature sound, a thing of wheezing beauty and joyful surprise. Likewise we swoon at the way the immaculately set backing vocals punctuate the arrangements and add colour and contrast to his voice.