"I'm Going On A Long Journey Never To Return" has the most infectious and peppy feel to it, while its lyrical content remains on the darker side of relationships. T Bone's straightforward, easygoing vocals are excellently showcased here. On the chorus, I'm reminded a little of Rodney Crowell.

The second half of the disc opens with "A Poem Of The Evening: Hollywood Mecca Of The Movies." The guitar and bass slow down the tempo, allowing him to just speak the lyrics, while losing none of the intensity; T Bone's piercing lyrics about the industry are delivered with a force that is intensified by the heavy slow drum thump behind him.

On "Fear Country" Burnett's vocals continue to cruise slow and low. The way the instruments come together in the middle of the song add to Burnett's lyrics, giving off this odd sense of a city or nation on fire, the drums, both brushed and heavily struck, light guitar and bass swirl all around you, creating an air of doom.

"Baby Don't You Say You Love Me" picks up the pace and gets you jumping once again. The bass gets drawn out and has that stretched rubber band sound, while the drums slow-to-mid tempo thump drives the tune forward, blending together well with the distorted guitar sounds.

"Blinded By The Darkness" brings up the faith/state/crime issue once more and asks who should judge between the laws of God and the laws of man. "Shaken, Rattled And Rolled" closes the album on a slow, somber note about "it all slipping away from me" and being "lost and detached," yet it is fitting end to this dark and moody disc.

On this CD you can hear T Bone Burnett's influences, such as Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley. Some of the songs sound as if they could have been recorded by Alan Lomax 60-odd years ago in the deep South by old sharecroppers. At the same time the sounds are very modern and if you listen you can hear slight nods to some of most creative bands of their day from Portishead to Love and Rockets.

Throw all these sounds into a Haitian Juju bag and shake it around, mix in some Dark Side Of The Moon wit and there you have the long-awaited new album by T Bone Burnett, The True False Identity. T Bone Burnett has put together a sound that is unique and enjoyable; adding three drummers on most of the tracks to the usual bass/guitar sound works masterfully. I for one am glad to have him back and I hope he continues to explore and push boundaries, turning out new records at a quicker pace.

Written by Fantasma el Rey