For years, Tom Waits' brand of low-key blues rock was equated with his fly-on-the-wall bourbon and cigarette-fuelled bar room tales, mumbled over his own piano meanderings.

Until now. On Real Gone, he's removed the piano all together. And, he's given up the booze. Years of palate burning, though, means his voice still sounds guttural.

With more than 20 albums under his belt, Waits seems to have set out to challenge himself with this release. Joined by a handful of guitarists and bassists, rhythms are more stripped down. Opener Top of the Hill contains the most action, with his percussionist son Casey Waits dropping in laid-back turntable scratches.

Swampy muffled acoustics and Latin tinges make several tracks sound as though they were recorded in cheap hotel rooms in Cuba. On Hoist That Rag, guitar chords hit distortion levels and dustbin lids rattle.

Sober or not, Waits always takes the listener along on issues he's working through, broken up with reflections on twisted social observations. Sins of My Father clip-clops along with Marc Robot on banjo, as Waits recounts ominous family secrets.

Although hardly upbeat, Day After Tomorrow's reflection on 'the blood that's been spilled' and other matters is Waits at his most tuneful, delivering perfectly timed vocals over sensitive acoustic guitar. Although a hard listen at times, this is far more experimental than most new releases today.