'Road' goes nowhere

In the past year, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan have all released albums to much critical acclaim. Now Indiana legend John Mellencamp follows suit with his first album since his 2003 cover album, Trouble No More. This album is standard Mellencamp in that it sounds like what he is, a Midwest baby-boomer singing in the name of America's heartland. Freedom's Road is nothing special.\nLyrically, the album covers politics, more specifically injustice and intolerance. He sings songs of hope ("Someday") and protest ("Jim Crow") against injustice in America. The lyrics, which in many ways fall short, seem to rely on simplicity. For example, in "Forgiveness," Mellencamp sings: "Thank God for forgiveness; I don't know how else we could get along; without forgiveness; without forgiveness." Lyrics as simple as these plague the album and really sell the message short. However songs like "Jim Crow" and the finale, "Heaven is a Lonely Place," have this extra bit of lyrical depth that helps make the protest a little more powerful. \nThere are two songs that are not about politics but patriotism, "Our Country" and "The Americans." "Our Country" (which you've heard countless times in Chevy commercials or at Indiana's homecoming football game) is a simple anthem that seems like just an attempt to grab another radio hit. What bothers me most about this song isthat I can see it as a sing-along at rodeos and NASCAR races across the country. "The Americans" also lacks depth.\nMusically, the album covers a few genres, mostly roots, folk, rock and country. Throughout the album, Mellencamp is backed by the country quartet Little Big Town, most notably on "Heaven is a Lonely Place." The album also blends acoustic, electric and fiddle to give Freedom's Road its country flavor. \nThe few album highlights reach back to older styles of music. "Jim Crow," featuring folk legend Joan Baez, provides a fresh change. "Rural Route," an acoustic roots song about a kidnapping and injustice in rural America, is a nice surprise. Other than that, Freedom's Road seems full of already-charted territory, which lacks the charm and ingenuity his blue-collar peers Springsteen and Petty exhibit. Add on an annoying hidden track ("Rodeo Clown") and bad production value, and you have an album that is easily forgetful and dull when held up to the latter work of other heartland rockers.