Van Morrison News

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Van Morrison takes the title of his new album, "Keep It Simple," to extremes. His first set of self-written songs since 2005's "Magic Time," the Irish legend focuses on laid-back soul and relaxed blues grooves through all eleven cuts.

The lyrics are similarly threadbare, with many of the themes are built around familiar R&B catchphrases: "One monkey don't stop no show," in the song "No Thing," or "I don't get around much anymore," in the song "I Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore," about how, at age 62, he no longer enjoys the nightlife they way he once did.

On the positive side, Morrison's distinctive, horn-like voice sounds as flexible and expressive as ever. He treats each tune like a late-night improvisation, moaning one line as leisurely as smoke curling from a cigarette tip, then punching out the next like a boxer snapping left-jabs at a sparring partner.

Several lyrics start with an interesting premise, whether it's the back to nature treatise on "End of the Land," or the political and cultural critique of "School of Hard Knocks." Unfortunately, few songs extend past an interesting stanza or two; instead, each cut just repeats the initial opening lines while devolving into a steady-rolling jam.

Too often, the result is like an underdeveloped photograph. The images could be interesting if brought into focus. But the process stops too early, leaving everything fuzzy and ultimately less than it should be.

CHECK THIS OUT: On "Behind the Ritual," the Irish bard suggests spiritual gains emerge from rituals, religious and otherwise, with the compelling groove taking his listener into the mystic once more.