![]() ![]() The indirect message is inclusion stated in the former “Love Is Love” to a quasi-Calypso beat and, in the latter, “The Dreamer.” The opener, one that he’s been kicking around for years, is an ode to freedom wherever we can find it, a unifying theme throughout the album. A Catholic priest carefully navigates the streets in the slums of Haiti while in the other a young Mexican woman has risked it all to get across the border. He centers on characters in two remarkably standout and prescient songs. ![]() Instead, he sings his lyrics in a straight-forward matter, hoping we’ll pay attention. We’ve all seen many things we hold dear such as democracy, equality, clean water, clean air in jeopardy during these times. We hear such lines as “Time rolling away, time like a river, time like a train…Time like a fuse burning shorter every day.” One may quickly assume that this is an aging rock star contemplating mortality, but Browne is not the least bit self-centered. He takes on truth and justice, respect and dignity, issues of immigration, an urgent environmental plea captured in the title track, and an overall urgency balanced with optimism on our future fate. These songs were all written prior to the pandemic, although one would not necessarily discern that from listening. Certainly, Browne’s catalog touches on topical issues of the day and Downhill from Everywhere is no different. In other words, his songs often take new directions, once he begins to collaborate with bandmates, most of whom have cemented their chemistry with the iconic songwriter long ago. This is Jackson Browne’s first album in six years and like many veteran musicians, he’s finding the studio conducive to songwriting. ![]()
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