We wrote recently about a couple of new recordings, by Robbie Robertson and the Cars, that brought back musical memories while delivering new messages. Much the same can be said of the new offering from David Bromberg, entitled Use Me.

Bromberg, who was a major fixture in the folk and roots establishments in the '70s and '80s, had dropped out of performing a couple of decades ago. He devoted his time to being a luthier in Wilmington, Delaware, until just a few years back. The new album is a series of collaborations (to a greater or lesser extent) with the likes of Levon Helm, Dr. John, Keb Mo', Los Lobos, and Linda Ronstadt.

Bromberg's voice has always been quirky, and it hasn't mellowed with age, but the album's material is strong, and as with Robertson and the Cars, it feels good just to hear him singing again. The guitar work is impeccable, as one would expect from a guy who's been around the block with some of rock's greatest figures. He journeys through several different genres in the course of the hour, revealing the depth of his understanding of his idiom.

Use Me is getting pretty heavy airplay on our various sound boxes. We're particularly partial to a haunting blues track called "Digging in the Deep Blue Sea," which could be a rare, legitimate eco-anthem. That one makes more sense every time we play it.