The best decision Jakob Dylan made for his second solo album was ditching Rick Rubin’s production for the man that put him and The Wallflowers on the map way back in 1996 with Bringing Down The Horse: T-Bone Burnett. The same man that helped secure an Oscar for Best Song with Ryan Bingham. Why he stopped working with him I have no idea and it’s not important. At this point in Dylan’s career he’s not a rocker, he’s more the stripped-down songwriter. The new album has many Country tinges with slide guitars by Marc Ribot and walking (sometimes thumping time) string bass lines. Women + Country is delightfully hazy in the way you feel once the headache of your hangover has gone away. It takes a little longer to recognize things or put two and two together, but as you go along things start to come into focus. It takes a couple listens for the songs not to blend together and hear Dylan’s strong writing come through. Not to be forgotten are his featured (8 of 11 tracks) backing vocalists Neko Case and Kelly Hogan who provide depth and warmth with their harmonies to Dylan’s soulful lyrics.
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