Bobby Bare doesn't seem to have missed a beat in the 22 years since his last studio album—his voice sounds as smooth on The Moon Was Blue as it did during his career peak in the late 1960s and early '70s, and the songs he's selected here help lend the disc a timeless quality.

But The Moon Was Blue has unexpected contemporary touches, updating his sophisticated pop-crossover sound. No half-hearted comeback attempt, this is a significant effort from a singer few dared hope to hear from again.