“The past is gone / But it still lives inside of me.” So sings Alejandro Escovedo on his new album, and it amounts to a mission statement. Having survived a near-fatal bout with Hepatitis C a few years ago, he’s now given us the aural equivalent of his life flashing before his eyes: there’re his early days as a punk rocker in his first band, The Nuns (“Nuns Song”); his years in cowpunk band Rank & File (“Chip N’ Tony”); his first-hand experience of Sid Vicious’ alleged murder of Nancy Spungen (“Chelsea Hotel ‘78”); even his body’s breakdown in the throes of Hep C (“Golden Bear”). Escovedo presents all of this alternately set to riotous, punky rock ’n’ roll or sensitive balladry, and coloured by strikingly original string parts (courtesy of album producer and long-time Bowie helmsman Tony Visconti, among others). There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but nothing horrid either — it’s a solid effort.

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