As America continues to pillage itself, simply holding on now qualifies as hoping for the best. With his richest album in a long career, Chuck Prophet manages to capture that cruel truth while avoiding traps on both sides, steering clear of falsely dressed-up, teeth-whitened optimism and the simmering anger of knee-jerk cynicism. By looking at the stagnating disillusion from the outside, Prophet’s ¡Let Freedom Ring! is the album for our times, weaving together the failures of this American dream with its fraying cords of hope — what Bruce Springsteen captured so well during the dismal Reagan years (and failed so miserably at repeating on this year’s Working On A Dream).

Recorded in the spring amid swine-flu panic and an earthquake in Mexico City, on equipment Prophet describes as “state-of-the-art, for 1958,” the record is no-frills, timeless rock ‘n’ roll, urgent and sharp, but also soothing like an after-work beer. The title track is a barroom rocker, with Prophet singing, Let there be darkness, let there be light, as the hawk cripples the dove over a joyous slide-guitar riff. “American Man” is garage-rock-infused with a little Tom Petty drawl, catchy “ooh-wee-ooh” backup vocals and more excellent licks from the former Green on Red guitarist.

In recording what he calls “a political album for nonpolitical people,” Prophet bypasses slogans and battle cries for the simpler truths: that even staring down the gun barrels of Wall Street’s robber barons and Washington’s warmongers, redemption is no further than friends, family, love, and good times. Life is only so long, Prophet sings on the album closer. Don’t let it rub you raw. (Yep Roc)