At the time of his death, Joe Strummer [ tickets ] was working on his third album with The Mescaleros, the band with whom he'd been collaborating since 1999. Strummer succumbed to a heart attack in December of 2002, before "Streetcore" could be completed.

Thanks to the work of The Mescaleros, "Streetcore" has been finished and released. The album offers a glimpse of where Strummer was headed both artistically and emotionally, clearly rooted in his early influences--reggae, folk and punk--yet willing to push and pull the boundaries of those genres.

"Streetcore" starts off with a pair of reggae songs, "Coma Girl" and "Get Down Moses," a deep joint rife with biblical references and rhythms that recall the turmoil of Kingston in the '60s and '70s. Three of the album's tracks, including covers of "Redemption Song" and "Before I Grow Too Old," (here re-titled, "Silver and Gold") are plainly arranged with Strummer and his acoustic guitar and touches of accordion. Other more-progressive tracks ("All in a Day" and "Arms Aloft," among them) feature drum machines, strings and gospel choirs. Initially, these tracks sound odd, but repeated listens make them more palatable, and even likable.

No doubt, Strummer is a legend, and at the time of his passing he was aware of his place in rock's iconography. "Long Shadow," written in three days while he was hanging at renowned producer Rick Rubin's L.A. pad, is a country tune that was originally intended for Johnny Cash. But it is truly Strummer's theme. "You cast a long shadow," he sings, "and that is your testament."

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