John Sebastian “Tar Beach”<i> Shanachie</i>

John Sebastian, that old softy, is back with his first album in 17 years. But the mature Sebastian is not here to reassure his audience with sentimental, nostalgic, warm fuzzies. While his characteristic warmth still radiates in his grainy voice, folksy harmonica playing and surprisingly adept guitar work, it’s frequently a warmth summoned to fight off the chill of social decline and inner hurt.

Sebastian does permit himself a beautiful daydream in the gentle title track, with its lyrical echoes of the Drifters’ nugget, “Up on the Roof” and his own Lovin’ Spoonful hit, “Summer in the City.” But even from the rooftop oasis of urban calm described in “Tar Beach,” Sebastian remains aware of the “desperation” and “madness” he has left behind.

He confronts the madness of corrupt political powers in “Bless ‘Em All,” clinging unsteadily to faith as a last bulwark against a lapse into bitter cynicism. “Link in the Chain” also looks at the Big Picture, offering a homespun philosophy that acknowledges hardships but holds out hope for the future and celebrates the natural cycle of life as an end in itself.

In the tense “Freezin’ From the Inside Out” and the deceptively jaunty “Mornin’ Blues,” Sebastian draws characters facing emotional crises whose causes they can’t quite account for. Lovers’ woes come to the fore on two fine blue ballads, “Walkin’ With Someone New” and “Don’t You Run With Him,” a soulful, John Hiatt-like song that would be ideal for Bonnie Raitt.

Amid these troubles, Sebastian offers moments of respite in an ode to long-lasting love (“You And Me Go Way Back”) and a lovely, bittersweet fan note to the sweetest soul singer of all (“Smokey Don’t Go”). He ends plaintively with “Night Owl Cafe,” a lament for a lost haven from his past. It suggests that something profound--the vitality of urban America, as well as the bloom of a vanished youth--has slipped away from him.

Along the way, Sebastian shows an easy command of a wide range of earthy, roots-based styles, getting help from the likes of Levon Helm and NRBQ’s Al Anderson, as well as a crew of excellent A-list session drummers. The synth-based production on a few of the songs seems like a deliberate pitch for a spot on Adult Contemporary playlists, but Sebastian’s rough, believable voice is an effective hedge against over-slickness. After an extraordinarily long absence, he has earned a most hearty “Welcome Back.”

John Sebastian will perform at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on April 2.