Apparently, Bob Dylan's a fan, and you know I ain't about to argue with Bob.

Like Dylan's 1966 masterpiece Blonde On Blonde, Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady's current album, Say What You Feel, was recorded with top session guys in Nashville, with Brady allowing the musicians to feel their way through unfamiliar songs. A reaction to the hi-gloss over-production of Brady's 80s and 90s output, this spontaneous approach marks a satisfying return to his traditional folk and R 'n' B roots.

The theme of Getting Back dominates lyrically also. Brady's nostalgic vignettes bare comparison with those of Bruce Springsteen, with images of lost love and youthful glory days beautifully invoked throughout the set.

Pop music rarely broaches the issue of getting older, but Brady does so with eloquence and intelligence. His solo performance of Locked Up In Heaven, just vocals and gentle Fender Rhodes piano, was simply heartbreaking.

However, there is also much celebration here; Brady's band are a sho' nuff funky bunch of country rockin' hombres, and when they let rip with wailing Hammond and greasy slide guitar they cook up the very best in Southern blue-eyed soul. Proof, then, that you don't get older. You just get better.

Updated: 10:53 Wednesday, May 18, 2005