Warren Zevon has been juxtaposing tender and malevolent sentiments for more than two full decades now. While this collection skews slightly more toward his compassionate side, our Southern California anti-hero (think of him as longtime champion Jackson Browne's troubled cousin) continues to explore twisted psyches with dark humor and rough poetry. Zevon produced this album and plays most of the instruments (guests include Bruce Hornsby and David Lindley), and the spare surroundings opted for here suit the songs just fine. Zevon has long since fallen from the commercial heights he seized briefly in the mid-'70s, but The Mutineer shows he's remains as iconoclastic and engrossing as ever. --Steve Stolder