John Mellencamp, The Modern Mortal

Fresh Air from WHYY, March 31, 2009 - Long a standout purveyor of rootsy, direct "heartland" rock, John Mellencamp recently returned with a new album that finds him on a folksy, pessimistic streak.

Life, Death, Love and Freedom is what Mellencamp calls a collection of "modern electric folk songs," on which he muses largely on mortality (his own) and impending trouble (in the wider world).