Jackson Browne/David Lindley

Chalk up Jackson Browne's precipitous artistic decline to political obsessions, cocaine hangovers or just a bad case of the '80s. But the soul behind imperishable albums such as Running On Empty and Late for the Sky has never quite made a full comeback since he defined just how genuinely sensitive (as opposed to sentimental) and musically evocative a songwriter not named Bob Dylan could be. This year's double CD concert recording, Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino — a collaboration with longtime friend and multitasker, David Lindley, who's also opening the show — features some stunning Spanish instrumental and vocal backup and is as close to a full restoration of vision and direction as any fan could desire. The classics sound fresh, and newer material such as the epic "The Next Voice You Hear" make his signature tarnished romanticism relevant and memorable for these days.