Bob Bryden

Cult legend Bob Bryden returns with the immaculate Polaroid Verite, an album that, typical of Bryden’s eclecticism, is stitched together with threads of sounds and styles from his previous endeavours. The former member of ’60s and ’70s psych phenom bands Reign Ghost and Christmas boasts a massive discography, and Polaroid Verite is an addition that reflects Bryden’s songwriting from the ’70s until the present. Charged with livewire frequencies, this record melds the personal with the political. Kicking off with the folk-infused "Welcome Back to the Human Race,” it doesn’t take long for things to dive into tooth and nail rock’n’roll with "Leopard Skin Cadillac.” This is a chugging beast of a track that bucks against the weight of the bleak urban elements that are conjured up. But the track that really nails it is "Feels Like Far,” which is a sprawling song, monstrous both in length and the emotional currency that drives it forward. It’s a fitting conclusion, saving the best for last in an album that plays out like a scrapbook of snapshots.