Keep It Simple (2008)

The title track shows that time has little withered Van Morrison's voice. He could sing ''blah-blah-blah'' and it would be pretty great. This is, in fact, what he does near the end of ''Behind the Ritual'' — and it is pretty great. True, there are moments during this self-penned collection of bluesy numbers that the Irishman does indeed Keep It Simple, but perhaps too much so, and it comes off as Rather Too Easy instead. Van sounds like he's lightly perspiring on a few songs, however: the heartfelt ''Lover Come Back'' and the downright jaunty ''School of Hard Knocks.'' B
DOWNLOAD THIS: ''School of Hard Knocks''