The WhimWham

In June, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their 12th studio album, Mojo. I’m a huge Heartbreakers fan and have been for many years, and this album is a real treat.

It’s not as accessible as Petty’s solo Highway Companion from 2006, nor as exhilarating as last year’s Live Anthology, but Mojo is a slow-burner that reveals itself over many listens. First and foremost, it’s a blues experiment: Petty has always been a roots rocker, and this is roots rock taken to its logical conclusion. In a way, it’s the flip-side of the country-inflected Mudcrutch from 2008.

If you’re new to Petty, try his Greatest Hits as a sampler, or Wildflowers if you want a studio album. If you’re more adventurous, pick up The Live Anthology to hear the Heartbreakers at their best.

But if you want to hear veterans shunning autotune and current fads, you can’t beat Mojo.

Here’s a sample…