Four years passed since John Wesley Harding's previous long-player, and it seems he spent the time "growing up" a bit, shaking once and for all the image of Elvis Costello's smart-ass kid brother. John Wesley Harding's New Deal (the title presumably referring to his parting of ways with Sire and his new signing to Forward Records) finds a gentler Harding doing some soul-searching on his most introspective outing to date. Continuing the trend set by 1992's Why We Fight, the album's warmer production -- bare-bones arrangements consisting mainly of acoustic guitar with subtle use of violin, cello, Hammond organ, and pedal steel -- creates the appropriate intimate setting for the subject matter. Thankfully, the new John Wesley Harding's songs are still as clever as ever and, in a different way, just as catchy and memorable.
John Wesley Harding
John Wesley Harding's New Deal
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AllMusic Review by Chris Woodstra
Track Listing
| Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:26 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 2 | 3:52 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 3 | 3:30 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 4 | 4:31 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 5 | 4:33 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 6 | 5:32 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 7 | 3:40 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 8 | 3:25 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 9 | 3:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 10 | 4:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 11 | 4:12 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 12 | 4:22 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 13 | 2:56 | SpotifyAmazon |
