The Tiki Bar Is Open
For much of this album, his 16th in 26 years, Hiatt reunites with his  best band, the Goners, and takes a giant leap back to his still-hungry days as a  jag-edged,Costello-esque rocker  while hewing to the soulful, blues-based songwriting he perfected on 1987'sBring the Family. The  withering pub rock of 1979'sSlug Line--as well as a  nod to fallen hero Dale Earnhardt--seeps into the title track, while the roaring  guitar, courtesy of the brilliantSonny Landreth, and tight  rhymes of "All the Lilacs in Ohio" suggest the streetwise edge of 1983'sRiding with the King. But  it's with ballads such as "Something Broken" and "Come Home to You" that Hiatt's  musicianship, songwriting, and deeply soulful vocals truly convince and offer  the most moving moments on this, his most memorable album in many years.--Roy Kasten