In New York City in the late ’70’s, there was a distinct and thriving music scene brought to life by guitar-playing poets who loved Bob Dylan and rock ’n’ roll. Willie Nile is one of those musicians who came up during those vibrant times and made his mark by opening for The Who during their 1980 tour.

In The Streets of New York, the influence of Dylan’s stream-of-consciousness lyric style ignites Nile’s songwriting. On several songs, notably “Back Home,” “Lonesome Dark-Eyed Beauty” and the title track, Nile sings image-laden, elasticized phrases that reveal him to be a romantic urban poet in search of timeless truths and finding them in the people and landscapes of the city.

Also like Dylan, Nile shows devotion to traditions of song and this release covers a variety of styles and borrows elements from punk, reggae, eerie psychedelia, and bouncy pop. But best of all is when Nile throws himself into rock ’n’ roll and comes up with the tune, “Whole World With You” a big, jubilant song that is reminiscent of the Clash.

The production is well polished, although there are some embellishments that border on being too clever. “Cell Phones Ringing (In The Pockets of the Dead),” a song written for the victims of the Madrid train bombing of March 2004, has seemingly endless cell phone rings and a too-cute tone that sours the good intentions of the song.

Even so, Nile’s talent and writing is undeniable. They make a rock ‘n’ roll record that sounds classic yet new, innocent yet mature, and quintessentially New York in its origin