Already hailed by many as the zenith so far of Dylan s return-to-form, his 44th album has also attracted a wealth of cynics beating the same old better in the 60s drum. Again, Dylan s deep, smoky voice provides the rocky road for his garrulous lyrics to

Already hailed by many as the zenith so far of Dylan's return-to-form, his 44th album has also attracted a wealth of cynics beating the same old 'better in the 60s' drum.

Again, Dylan's deep, smoky voice provides the rocky road for his garrulous lyrics to trundle down, on their way to Tennessee and the Gates of Hell to find, surprisingly, Alicia Keys on album opener Thunder On The Mountain.

Modern Times, indeed? Well, not really - the 65-year-old is hardly breaking into nu-rave, relying instead on his tight, trusty touring band and taking charge on guitar, keyboard and harmonica for a trip through familiar, but, crucially, richly rewarding Americana pastures. 4/5