Ringo Starr finds a late-career sweet spot on “Long Long Road”

With “Long Long Road,” his twenty-second studio album, Ringo Starr has settled into one of his career’s finest grooves. While he will surely be remembered for his classic 1970s LPs “Ringo” (1973) and “Goodnight Vienna” (1974), his recent return to his country roots has been a genuine boon for music lovers everywhere.

Starr’s previous forays into country and western include the exquisite “Beaucoups of Blues” (1970), produced by Pete Drake, and last year’s “Look Up.” With T. Bone Burnett holding forth in the producer’s chair yet again, “Long Long Road” matches its predecessor’s penchant for warmhearted storytelling and well-played musical confections.

And like his frequent tours with his All-Starr Band, Starr’s backing band on “Long Long Road” features a selection of top-notch players and guest artists. Having written or co-written six of the album’s songs, Burnett has proven himself to be one of Starr’s most able and industrious collaborators. He also has a knack for teasing out some of Starr’s best performances in years.

Take his cover version of “I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes Anymore.” Recorded in 1959 by Carl Perkins, one of Ringo’s idols, the song suits the former Beatle’s voice to a tee. On the one hand, his vocal stylings are well-suited to affect a slightly country twang — by way of Liverpool, of course. But on the other hand, the genre’s somber leanings afford him a tender space for sharing the brand of wisdom that only comes with age.

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Now in his 86th year, Starr has plenty of wisdom to impart. In “Choose Love” (an update of the song he originally released in 2005), on which he duets with St. Vincent, the lyrics take on deeper shades of meaning. “The long and winding road is more than a song,” he sings, with a sly wink to his Beatles past. “Tomorrow never knows what goes on.” You know he’s right.

And then there’s the title track, with its Hank Williams intonations. With Sheryl Crow taking backing vocals, “Long Long Road” finds Starr dispensing advice for the ages. “Don’t be attacked by your thoughts,” he sings. “Let them come, let them go.” Let them go, indeed.