Tom Waits has crafted many an odd album in his extensive career. I mean, there is some pretty weird shit out there that some folks would simply turn their nose up at and quickly dismiss. Waits’ progressive edge has allowed him to explore some dark and weird territory in the past but on his latest offering he has somehow managed to pump the brakes enough to craft an absolutely phenomenal album from front to back that sounds great… wait for it…on the first listen. Yes, you don’t have to repeatedly listen to Bad As Me in order to digest it. Everything flows so nicely. Don’t get me wrong: the edge this man possesses will never leave his songwriting. But on Bad as Me he manages to restrain and harness that aspect of his style, which makes his music so interesting, enough to craft another masterpiece. “Chicago” kicks things off on a high note, while “Raised Right Men” is one of those songs that Tom Waits just makes work. The album highlight, for me, is the military like “Hell Broke Luce.” All the rockers are nicely balanced by mid- and slower-tempo tracks keeping things fresh, not that there was any risk of that: It’s fucking Tom Waits! It took a long time for some new original work, but the Waits was worth it. (Anti-, anti.com) Scott Wolfe