Jeff Bridges

It's no surprise that after his masterful performance as hard luck country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges would give in to acting out the part in real life. Having old buddy T Bone Burnett at the production helm again certainly makes this project feel natural as well. But those expecting another collection of Bad Blake classics will be disappointed with Jeff Bridges, a rather subdued and, at times, surprisingly odd album. An example of that latter characteristic is "Tumbling Vine," featuring guitarist Mark Ribot playing some of his patented Tom Waits riffs. But, mainly, Bridges sticks with the sleepy vibe of "Falling Short" and "Nothing Yet," written by the late Stephen Bruton, one of the crucial contributors to Crazy Heart. Bridges does have a nice voice, when he's not pushing it too hard, and at its best, the album comes close to capturing J.J. Cale's effortless grooves. But Jeff Bridges comes off as a vanity project that only die-hard fans will fully appreciate. Now, if the Dude made an album, that would be something.