The wiki page for this album pays a lot of attention to this album being the first all new Tom Waits album in seven years. Although I think the writer is stretching it a bit (the previous album Orphans contained no less than 30 new songs) it is true that Tom Waits has not been very active the last decades. In fact, it looks like this will be the last studio album.
Waits understands the subtle art of mixing experimental sound with beautiful melodies. His music plays with your expectations. It is raw and sweet at the same time, and it lends itself for drinking whisky. There is still no replacement for his raspy, nostalgic voice. It has been Tom Waits that has inspired me to look for blues music (and whisky).
The song Last leaf is a delightful duet with Keith Richards. It seems like they’re both celebrating their age here. He was playing guitar on a few tracks for this album, so while he was around, he also could sing, right?