Listen Up: Neil Diamond

"Home Before Dark" (Columbia)

We defy any singer-songwriter this year to come up with a run of four stronger songs than the ones that open this album. Bookended by the epic "If I Don't See You Again" and the Natalie Maines duet "Another Day (That Time Forgot)," each song is assured and insightful. Years of crusted bangles and beads prevent many people from taking Neil Diamond seriously as a songwriter. That's a mistake. He hasn't quite reached the level of artistry that Johnny Cash did with Rick Rubin, but "Home Before Dark" continues to solidify Diamond's reputation. DOWNLOAD: "Pretty Amazing Grace"

-- The Associated Press