When Bob Dylan dropped “False Prophet” as his third offering of new material in the past six weeks into the feed just after midnight on Saturday morning, it was the second piece of exciting Dylan news in the same tweet. Slated for a June 19th release, Rough and Rowdy Ways will be Dylan’s 39th (!!) studio album and his first LP of new material since 2012’s Tempest.
My first impression of “False Prophet” was pure joy because of his voice. At 78, Dylan’s deep rusty drawl has aged perfectly for him to continue taking on electric blues. A departure from the previous down-tempo single “I Contain Multitudes,” with a swagger far from the 17-minute ballad “Murder Most Foul,” “False Prophet” is a strut before the curtain is raised. The chugging beat and rhyming phrases work effortlessly as a vehicle for a man who loves to tell stories and spin tales. Gather ‘round at this tent because there’s something to see (and hear) here.
Bob Dylan’s ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ arrives in stores June 19th
The Bob Dylan mystery plays just as big a role in his story as his music does. So when he states “I ain’t no false prophet / I just know what I know,” I wonder if he’s referencing himself, hailed by many in the 1960s as The Voice of a Generation, or playing coy? Dylan has long fought this acclaim by remaining an enigma, answering questions with sarcasm, insincerity, and silence. This lyrical phrase lands on “I go where only the lonely can go.” The next clue is the album art: a blurry photo of a couple dancing as someone leans into the corner jukebox. It suggests a different era’s glory days. There is no “return to form” with Bob. But then again, he’s full of surprises.
Listen to “False Prophet,” as well as its two preceding singles, below.
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