Sting
57TH & 9TH

Few careers have been as complex, almost convoluted, and, in some cases, dispersive as Sting's solo career. At the beginning, he blended his favorite influences, such as jazz and English folk, into the pop-rock within the song format. "Bring on the night," the live album from 1986, is perhaps the most beautiful early-career work, for the magnificent fusion of rock and jazz, the instrumental skill while always remaining in a song context.

Then, in the new millennium: madrigals, symphonic albums, musicals dedicated to the shipping industry, and so on. And so much, so much boredom.

For some years now, fortunately, there has been a live rediscovery of the old beloved sounds, with the tour with Paul Simon and solo.

And now, finally, the new album, the follow-up to "Sacred Love" from 2003, the last true album of true songs ("The Last Ship" was a collection of rather boring Celtic ballads).

In form, because in substance it is a truly direct, guitar-driven, extremely enjoyable, not trivial album.

Sure, the first single is heavily branded "Police", and so is the guitar riff that opens "Down Down Down." But what leaves a mark are the riffs of "50,000" - a song about the mortality of rockstars, released on the day Cohen died, or the even more striking one of "Petrol Head," along with the sophisticated arpeggio of "Pretty Young Soldier."

Then, of course, Sting is seduced by his old passions: "Heading South On The Great North Road" seems to come out of "The Last Ship" (boringly instead of not). "Inshallah" seems like the child of "Desert Rose," "The Empty Chair" could have emerged from the pen of friend Paul Simon. But the final result is that "57TH & 9TH" is a fresh, flowing, immediate album, perhaps the one that has these strong characteristics of his entire solo production.

An album that is listened to with great enjoyment, especially the voice, so particular, unmistakable, and that bass that takes us back in time and makes us tap our feet to the rhythm.

Welcome back. Finally.