Van Morrison - A Sense of Wonder (2015) [Hi-Res]

Van Morrison's U.S. label debut with Polygram (which had issued his Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast album in England earlier) is a strong effort, mixing some of his familiar influences -- R&B, poetry, mysticism -- on such characteristic tracks as "Tore Down a la Rimbaud." It might be fair to say that, by now, Morrison's fans had heard what he had to say and the rest was just repetition, but he continued to write and perform at a high level at this mature stage in his career. ~ William Ruhlmann