“I know there’s only so much time left in my life. “I see the writing on the wall,” says Browne. Clean air, fresh water, racial equity, democracy - it’s all on the line, and nothing is assured.

While such ruminations might suggest a meditation on aging and mortality from a rock icon in his early 70s, the truth is that Browne isn’t looking in the mirror he’s singing about us, about a world fast approaching a social, political, and environmental point of no return. “Time like a fuse burning shorter every day.” “Time rolling away, time like a river, time like a train,” he sings.

Like much of Browne’s illustrious catalog, Downhill From Everywhere is fueled by a search - for connection, for purpose, for self - but there’s a heightened sense of urgency written between the lines, a recognition of the sand slipping through the hourglass that elevates the stakes at every turn. Though the songs here were recorded prior to the tumultuous events of the past year, the collection feels remarkably prescient, grappling with truth and justice, respect and dignity, doubt and longing, all while maintaining a defiant sense of optimism that seems tailor-made for these turbulent times. Take a listen to Downhill From Everywhere, Browne’s first new album in six years, and you might begin to suspect that he’s speaking quite literally. “Sometimes it feels a bit like consulting the oracle.” T HE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Songwriting is a mysterious thing,” says Jackson Browne. Long may he cruise - even if it may be ever-so-slightly downhill. But even if he’s happy to coast along comfortably in his own lane, the 72-year-old troubadour makes it clear he’s still got both hands on the wheel and plenty of gas in the tank. Granted, he isn’t breaking much new musical ground or taking many creative risks on these 10 tracks. Downhill From Everywhere delivers exactly what you expect and want from Browne: Another collection of warm, mellow and meticulously crafted California country-rock and Laurel Canyon folk that balances political activism and personal reflection. On his 15th studio album in nearly 50 years, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne continues to be one of the most dependable and durable tunesmiths of his generation.

Jackson browne downhill from everywhere