Freedom's Road (CD - 2007)

Personnel: John Mellencamp (vocals, guitar); John Mellencamp; Joan Baez (vocals); John Gunnell (bass guitar); Scott Davis (percussion); Mike Wanchic, Andy York (vocals, guitar); Miriam Sturm (violin); Troye Kinnett (keyboards); Dane Clark (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Don Smith .

Recording information: Belmont Mall (06/2006-08/2006); The Garage (06/2006-08/2006).

Photographers: Elaine Mellencamp; Kurt Markus.

John Mellencamp's heartland rock has attracted as many critics as fans, but regardless of the listener's stance, 2007's FREEDOM'S ROAD makes one thing abundantly clear: Mellencamp is very, very good at what he does. The artist has used the five years since his last album of all-new material to full effect, crafting the songs, sound, and themes of FREEDOM ROAD to perfection.

Mellencamp's usual mixture of rock, folk, blues, and country is here in full force, but it feels refined to a sharp edge on both rousing, anthemic tracks ("The Americans") and haunting atmospheric ones (like "Jim Crow," which features Joan Baez on guest vocals). The song "Our Country," popularized in a truck commercial, is here, yet stands tall in the context of the album, taking on an unexpected vitality. The sound is bold and rootsy (thanks in part to the country quartet Little Big Town), and the songs paint on a large canvas their American tales of desperation, integrity, tragedy, and hope. But Mellencamp's vision, while broad, is rarely sentimental or contrived, resulting in one of his finest overall releases since UH-HUH and SCARECROW. minimize