Actor and Oscar winner Jeff Bridges is venturing into different territory with this, his major label release. Now for those of you launching headlong into some rant about how actors should stop getting involved in music, just hold on a moment. Bridges is no stranger to music, he put out an album (Be Here Soon) a few years ago on an indie label; and that Oscar he won was for his portrayal of fictional country star, Bad Blake. Not only that but he's been playing the guitar for years and he's pretty good at it.

This self-titled release is no vanity project, it's a fully fledged record featuring a selection of songs penned by Bridges and friends. Ultimately, the album picks up where Crazy Heart's soundtrack left off, most of the songs have a country feel to them; with a nice vintage rock and roll feel chucked in for good measure. The songs really have a timeless quality to them; they are the kind of song you can imagine blasting through the car radio decades ago. At the same time, you can imagine that they'll still be getting played for years to come.

The vocal performance from Bridges is fantastic throughout; each song is delivered with a graveled charm. It is a vocal which helps add character to the lyrics, bringing with it added intensity and emotional resonance. Bridges is joined throughout the album by a few different vocalists, including Roseanne Cash and Crazy Heart co-star and fellow Oscar winner Ryan Bingham. The different vocals really add that little extra to the songs. Bridges with the help of producer and friend T Bone Burnett has managed to assemble a team of intrepid and talented musicians to back Bridges and they do a tremendous job, with some quality playing throughout, which never threatens to overshadow.

As you would expect with any album, you'll find your favourite songs, ones which will rack up repeated listens. It took only one listen for a few songs to become firm favourites, and only a few more listens to add a couple more to the list. Favourites for me so far are opener "What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do" which has Bridges sounding positively youthful, and to me a touch Springsteen-esque. It's a a nice fun track, with lyrics that'll surely have you singing along after a few listens. It's certainly a track which deserves a bit of airplay.

Two other early favourites are "Blue Car" and the beautiful "Either Way". The former sees Bridges in fine vocal form, just the right amount of twang and charm, with a great piano riff bubbling just under the surface. The latter is beautiful, with some mournful guitar and possibly the vocal performance of the album.

Overall this is a superb album, one which should be taken on it's own merits; and not dismissed before given a listen. Fans of Crazy Heart will certainly find plenty to appreciate here; but at the same time I believe anyone with even a passing appreciation of country music, rock n roll, and just damn good song-writing will find a lot of enjoyment from this album.

If you're going to buy any album by an actor this year, make it this one.

Review Score: 8.5/10