"Sweet Warrior" by Richard Thompson; Shout Factory

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Richard Thompson's first recordings with Fairport Convention, which established his enduring reputation as a towering musician and songwriter.

"Sweet Warrior," the 58-year-old Englishman's first disc of electric music in four years, finds him navigating a wide expanse of ruminations on conflicts, and coloring the tales with crisp classically styled musical backdrops.

Thompson, who has performed at Honolulu's Doris Duke Theatre twice in the last couple of years, stitches together a freewheeling stylistic brew, trimming the plump rock of "Needle and Thread" with chipper mandolin, and dipping expertly into the hearty ska of "Francesca" as readily as he prods the blues-laced swing of "Bad Monkey."

His guitar work is distinctive as he plays soulful touches on the ballad "Take Care the Road You Choose" or gets gritty on the devilish anthem about an unfaithful couple, "Johnny's Far Away."

His voice is stout and earthy as he trowels a spurned man's antagonistic vitality on "Mr. Stupid" and growls over the jazzy "I'll Never Give it Up." He shows as much clever insight when spinning small stories as he does in taking an anti-war stance on "Dad's Gonna Kill Me."