Bruce Cockburn – You’ve Never Seen Everything

Joining longevity with vitality, Bruce Cockburn is still breaking new ground. For the Canadian observer of human events and academic of the heart, none of these is particularly remarkable. His first record in nearly four years (and 27th overall) is another ambitious feat where love and faith co-exist with its less savory realities.

From the start, the staccato verses of “Tried And Tested” transmit the record’s central theme: the challenges the world throws up. By the end of the song, Cockburn sounds resolute about the spirit’s ability to endure. Anyone familiar with Cockburn’s music knows the cup is half-full, just not by a lot. “Open” and “Put It in Your Heart” will tell as much.

But Cockburn never lets optimism interfere with bad news. As such, he gets achingly specific in “Postcards From Cambodia”, and the spooky title track, a mostly spoken, nine-minute opus, ranks among the hardest stuff he’s committed to a record. A similar vibe permeates “All Our Dark Tomorrows”, where vibrato guitar makes the point before Cockburn has sung a word.

These songs stand out because Cockburn, reluctant to repeat himself, has laid out a sonic buffet. Harmonies and the low end get more play, as do subtle flourishes of voice and instrument. The gorgeous “Don’t Forget About Delight” sounds like early ’70s Stevie Wonder, and Cockburn throws down a rap on two tracks. With pianist and new collaborator Andy Milne, he cooks up a jazz number, and croons soothingly to close the record.