Thirty years since the demise of Traffic, grizzled old Steve Winwood shows no signs of wanting to hang up his guitar. Paul Weller and Ocean Colour Scene have already built whole careers around his Dadrock style, and now the man himself is back with his first new album since 1997. Backed by a band of jazz musicians, About Time finds Winwood eager to explore new territory, adding some Latin influences to his familiar prog-rock template. He's also in remarkably fine voice, applying himself with gusto to a set of songs that reflect on the past with a mixture of pride and sorrow. About Time won't be to everyone's taste; much of it is dour, rambling and lyrically trite. It also tails off badly towards the end, culminating in an 11 mnute dirge 'Silvia' that few will want to hear more than once. But at its best, this is the sound of a defiant old warrior, valiantly striving to prove that he's still got interesting things to say. The least he deserves is a hearing.
