Tom Waits

Tom Waits

Real Gone

(Anti)

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.