CD Review: Jeff Bridges

By Aaron Davis (for Jackson Hole Weekly, JHWeekly.com)Jeff Bridges JEFF BRIDGES Yep, “the dude” made himself an album. In fact, it’s his second—a follow up to Be Here Soon that was release a decade ago. Of course, we already knew that he’s got skills, confirmed in his Academy Award-winning performance as a washed up and revived country singer in 2009’s Crazy Heart. For better or for worse, this self-titled, T-Bone Burnet-produced set feels like a companion to the Crazy Heart soundtrack.Full of mid-to-low tempo country, pulsed with great sounding upright bass and the classic Burnet swagger, there are a few standout moments that kept me from getting too bored. Disc opener “What a Little Bit of Love Can Do” is the best of the bunch, evidence that Bridges can pick up the pace and delve into a taste of rockabilly. The other obvious stronghold is a cover of Greg Brown’s “Blue Car,” rearranged here into a building 12-bar blues, and one of Bridges best vocal performances. Despite being strikingly similar to Crazy Heart’s Bad Blake, Bridges has a very inviting, grizzly growl of a voice that carries even the songs that drag too much for my taste.