MUDCRUTCH: SO HOW'S THE ALBUM?

I've written a lot about Tom Petty's reunited band Mudcrutch, but I haven't really mentioned much about the album. Let me rectify that.

It's awesome. Some have suggested that it's the best Tom Petty album "in years." (I never know what "in years" means. Two years? Ten?) I don't feel the need to quantify it like that. I liked Tom's solo album, Highway Companion, although I'll allow that it isn't classic from start to finish. I really dug the last Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers album, The Last DJ, but I know that it wasn't a popular album. It actually made me proud to be a fan.

But on Mudcrutch, since it isn't a "Tom Petty" album, Tom is more laid back and relaxed than he has been in a long time. It really is an awesome album, and one of the best of the year for sure. I hope that they do a real tour at some point (real = play New York, not just California), and that they do more records in the future. Of course, if it becomes a regular thing, it may not be as loose, so maybe this album is just one great moment in time where a bunch of bandmates got back together and had a great time.