Tim Rose died on Sept. 24, 2002. American Son had been released that February. As his final album, American Son captures Rose's talents enough for a proper send-off. His voice is weathered, as expected, and the pace of the material often reflects the artists who had rediscovered him along the way, from Nick Cave to Mark Lanegan. But where those artists often conjure up myths and preternatural worlds, Rose finds plenty of rage and bitterness in his own situation as an artist who never achieved the commercial success and broad artistic recognition that he felt was his right. Even if his targets are sometimes off the mark, the music within him is still plenty engrossing; songs such as “Because You’re Rich,” “Where Did the Good Times Go?," and “I Never Knew (So Much to Lose)” reflect the difficulties that aging performers feel more deeply than those who were never privy to the possibilities of reckless, hedonistic youth.