(Manhattan) www.manhattanrecords.com

Escovedo’s live shows have always been things to behold, covering more musical and emotional territory in two hours than most artists traverse in a lifetime, with a few heart-stopping moments each time out. None of his studio recordings have ever quite captured that experience, until now. A literal musical autobiography — in that respect, a continuation of his theatrical work By The Hand of the Father — Real Animal  brings together Escovedo’s roots in punk (“Chelsea”), country (“People”), chamber pop (“Sister Lost Soul”), and Stonesy blues-rock (“Smoke” and “Real Animal”) in a cohesive musical and lyrical narrative tracing the course of Escovedo’s thirty-year-long career. Producer Tony Visconti (Bowie, T. Rex) and co-writer Chuck Prophet certainly deserve a chunk of the credit, but the triumph here is all Alejandro’s.

Standout Tracks: “Real Animal,” “Sister Lost Soul” ERIC SCHUMACHER-RASMUSSEN