James "Iggy" Osterberg's last album of the second millennium is at once confounding, yet immensely compelling. The Godfather of Punk once again largely eschews the anarchic sturm und drang upon which he built his legend to pick up the strangely warm (for him), often nakedly introspective thread that runs from Zombie Birdhouse through Brick by Brick. As on the latter, Iggy has entrusted his reflections to producer and hired gun to the stars Don Was. To both their credits, the result is fresh, textured, and surprising.
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