The subject of an epic four-hour documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich a few years ago, Tom Petty is an artist whose career progression and always interesting interviews I have generally found more intriguing than his music. Whilst an admirer of celebrated tracks such as ‘American Girl’, ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ and ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’, the Californian songwriter’s brand of rootsy rock has generally been a little too straightforward for my tastes.
Petty’s latest album with his long-time backing band, The Heartbreakers, carries on in the same vein, with the album’s no-frills rock ‘n’ roll playing directly to Petty’s loyal fanbase. The likes of ‘American Dream Plan B’, ‘Fault Lines’ and ‘Red River’ are all expertly crafted slices of the heartland rock Petty specialises in, with few stylistic or lyrical curveballs in the mix.
Like his fellow purveyor of rock ‘n’ roll classicism Bruce Springsteen, Petty has of late developed a thematic preoccupation with the economic crash and the manner in which it has aggravated inequality in American society. He makes good points on this issue on tracks such as ‘Power Drunk’ and ‘Burnt Out Town’. Maybe it’s just me, but the slightly generic rock soundscapes meant that I wasn’t rushing to play the songs again.
Petty deservedly has his place in the pantheon of great US songwriters, but I can’t see this record winning him a legion of new followers.
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