He retains the same backing trio on this 2012 release as on 2009's studio disc, with the only major difference in personnel being the addition of noted roots producer Kevin Shirley.

Horns that Cray hasn't utilized in a while make a welcome appearance on a few key tunes such as the big-band swing of "I'll Always Remember You" (which seems like a tribute to Ray Charles) and the terrifically melodic, midtempo "Blues Get Off My Shoulder."

Shirley adds understated but beautifully arranged strings to emphasize the sheer desperation of the situation then strips them away, leaving just Cray's soulful voice.

Add one of the guitarist's patented terse, quivering solos that feels like a crying vocal, and you get a tour de force track that is one of the highlights of Cray's bulging catalog.

The description of how a wrecked marriage is revealed in the empty residence a couple left behind in "Great Big Old House" is prime Cray, too, and a worthy successor to any of his other popular busted matrimony songs.