Bruce Cockburn: Bone on Bone (True North Records/Southbound)

In an amusing Facebook post last year someone noted that this great Canadian singer-songwriter and classy guitarist hadn't come back to New Zealand since I wrote a somewhat unfavourable review of his late Eighties concert at the Powerstation.

That rather over-estimated the power of the press but did remind me of how much I had championed him (album reviews and a massive front page story/interview in the Herald's entertainment section a few weeks before this gig) but had filed a concert review which noted I considered his drummer just leaden and that he dragged the songs down.

Because reviews were written overnight in those days, it appeared in the following day's paper and Cockburn saw it. He fired off a sharp rebuke.

I was surprised he took the time (he was the first international artist to put pen to paper although these days hate mail can arrive almost instantly) but not taken aback by the fact he read the newspaper. Cockburn is one of the most literate, political, astute and poetic of songwriters who is also well traveled, has seen the brutal face of repression and is a practical Christian.

He is loosely placed in the folk-rock camp but his lyrics can contain a real bite, as on Cafe Society here where he skewers the moaning and chattering gatherings in coffee shops: “Misery loves company. Hey, it's a way to start a day”.

Here too he reflects on his own itinerant life (the urgent My Road/Mon Chemin sung in French, Forty Years in the Wilderness), his faith (Jesus Train) and the whereafter (the gospel blues of Twelve Gates to the City)

The title track is an elegant acoustic instrumental and 3 Al Purdy's gruffly celebrates the life and work of the great Canadian poet: “Got the poetry bug in some forgotten institution when first I did embark on my career of destitution”.

By my reckoning Bruce Cockburn has released a couple of dozen studio albums – Elsewhere especially commends to you his early Eighties releases Dancing in the Dragon's Jaw, Humans, Inner City Front and The Trouble With Normal – and yet he has rarely had much traction in this country.

That Powerstation concert – the room only half full – wasn't his first appearance in New Zealand. About five years before he had played to a small but enthusiastic audience in a huge venue (the old Downtown Convention Centre if I remember correctly).

He may not wish to come this far again but if he was ever entertaining the idea I would promise not to write a review.

Meantime check out his excellent back-catalogue (at Elsewhere here), his previous outing and this typically insightful and enjoyable album.