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T Bone Burnett is best known as producer, curator, and sideman extraordinaire, the guiding hand behind the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack and, most recently, the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Raising Sand album and tour. As a solo artist in his own right, he’s a pretty damned good producer, curator, and sideman, working best just outside the spotlight but foundering when it shines directly upon him. A set of songs recorded for Sam Shepard’s play of the same name, Tooth of Crime should have reigned in Burnett’s worst lyrical tendencies — cranky moralizing and narrow-minded nostalgia — except for the fact that the play is moralizing and narrow-mindedly nostalgic. Save for a few songs, Burnett’s angular melodies and propensity to mistake quirkiness for creativity make Tooth of Crime a downright painful listen.

Standout Tracks: “Kill Zone,” “Anything I Say Can and Will be Used Against You” ERIC SCHUMACHER-RASMUSSEN