Alejandro Escovedo

Starting with the hollow, spectral whistle intro of opener "Arizona," Escovedo's seventh solo record is colored by his near-death brush with Hep C. He starts things here with a sneering suggestion to "Have another drink on me/ I've been empty since Arizona," and follows with his most accomplished collection. He's edgy and paranoid one minute ("Break This Time") and strumming a Spanish guitar with reflective adoration the next ("Evita's Lullaby"). Even where John Cale's tacky production clutters the message, Escovedo's fixation with death is a triumph.