Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Mojo

OK, it has been eight years since the band has put out a new album. The last one was The Last DJ in 2002, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Since that last album, Petty popped up in 2008 up with a resurrection of his original band Mudcrutch, and released an album of interesting tunes and jams, which I also enjoyed. And in 2006 he released a solo album,  Highway Companion (yes, I also really enjoyed it), which found Petty laying out an album way more laid back and smooth than previous releases. So, what does 2010 give us from Tom and the whole band? Well, it is kind of a combination of of his last two musical ventures; with the laid back mellower feel of Highway Companion, and the classic and looser jams of Mudcrutch.

This album is totally unlike anything the band has put out in the past, and gone are the big hits we're used to hearing, and instead it is almost like Mudcrutch album two, except it does have a more Heartbreakers feel to it than that release did. There are some good tunes on here, and some great musicianship, but the looser jam feel could be a turn off to many. Some of the reviews I have already read online seem to knock the album for that very reason - while others love it. I have mixed feelings. It is good, but it is a far cry from the greatness of am used to from these guys.

Actually the product description I recently read hits the nail on the head for this release:

There have been side projects and experiments since the band last went into the studio to cut a new Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album. With 'MOJO,' they have taken their recent freedom and experimentation to heart. They have gone off the reservation and all signs indicate they aren't coming back.

The first thing that hits you about 'MOJO' is that the spirit of the Mudcrutch sessions has carried on with the Heartbreakers. This is the sound of a band playing together in a room not a studio - facing each other, all singing and playing at the same time. The music is alive, with no overdubs or studio trickery. What you hear is what they created on the spot at that time.

Tom Petty says, 'With this album, I want to show other people what I hear with the band. 'MOJO' is where the band lives when it's playing for itself.'

As for the songs, 'MOJO' showcases a wide variety of American music from rock 'n' roll to country and both electric and acoustic blues. And then there are the images in Petty's lyrics which slip in on the melodies and set up a home in your head: The barefoot girl in the high grass chewing on a stick of sugar cane, the run-in with the law that begins when a carload of buddies decide to party with the motel maids, and the hilariously audacious idea of opening an album with an electric blues rocker about Thomas Jefferson's love affair with Sally Hemings. Petty would probably chuck a rock at anyone who called him a poet, but he sure is a southern writer of humor and sensitivity.

'MOJO' has juice and guts but it also has some sweet balladry for the slow dancers and even a wacked-out reggae number that is unlike anything that the Heartbreakers have done before. It's the kind of album nobody's supposed to be able to make anymore. It got here just in time.

So yes, in a nutshell, we have a bunch of very talented musicians, sitting in a room jamming, and this album is full of the life and energy from those sessions. It is full of somewhat repetitive riffs with jamming all over. For those like me with a very diverse interest in music will savor this album as real, authentic, and amazing. Many others who want to hear another "American Girl," "Refugee" or "Running Down a Dream" will be less than satisfied this time around.

We are given 15 tracks this time around, so it is a full musical journey. The first track, "Jefferson Jericho Blues" is probably the highest energy track on the album, and a great opener with it's repetitive simple beats that really get the foot taping from the get go. From there we move into "First Flash of Freedom" which reminds me of the feel from the past two Petty releases for sure, starting off with a bit of energy before settling down into a mellower laid back, smooth almost jazz feel. One of my favorite tunes so far.

I won't go into a rundown of every song, but suffice it to say, this album has a lot of soul and alternates between mid-tempo bluesy jams, and a more laid-back, almost jazz-like feeling.

Honestly, upon first listen, I was a bit bummed with the jam feel. When I first played it in the car for the whole family (most all of my kids having grown up listening to a healthy does of all things Petty), they commented that it was boring.  It is only after repeated listens that I myself am starting to get hooked on the beauty and passion portrayed throughout. It's not a rocker, but it has soul, feeling, and its simplicity becomes beautiful as the songs begin to sink in.

Don't buy this to rock out, buy this to experience the experience. Sadly, it will not have the appeal to the masses that they are known for, but for those with a wider musical mindset, this will have more appeal.