Sometimes an artist can return to their music after a long layoff and sound just the way they did when they left off. That's not quite the case with
Glenn Morrow
, and that's a good thing. 28 years after he put down his guitar following the release of
Rage to Live
's second album,
Morrow
sounds excited and passionate about playing rock & roll, as if he's rediscovered something important to him and loves the way it sounds and feels.
Glenn Morrow's Cry for Help
is the man's first record in close to three decades, and while it doesn't seem the tiniest bit rusty, it does sound a bit different than his classic recordings with
the Individuals
and
. In 2017, the blues and vintage R&B inform
's songs more than they did in the old days, he's more willing to acknowledge his
Dylan
influences, and his attack is less manic and more straightforward. All that said, there's a potent energy and commitment audible on every track, and
sings with passion that's honest and not the least bit forced. He has also hit a new stride as a writer, and his storytelling on
Cry for Help
is outstanding, from the renewed romance of "Third Act" and the memories of a hero gone fallow in "Bleeker and Third" to the contemplation of how the other 1-percent lives on "Keira Knightly." And
has put together a fine backing band that combines skill, energy, and a scrappy sense of grown-up fun, with guitarist
Ric Sherman
, bassist
Mike Rosenberg
, and drummer
Ron Metz
complementing the bandleader perfectly. As the head of
Bar/None Records
,
is doubtless well-informed enough about the state of the music biz to not quit his day job. But for a guy picking up a part time gig after a few decades out of action,
is an outstanding return to form, and he has every reason to take pride in his second act as an indie rocker. ~ Mark Deming