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When producer Rick Rubin first sat down with Neil Diamond for 2005’s 12 Songs, awkward moments were afoot. Call it the “First Date Syndrome.” Rubin looked shed Diamond’s Vegas showstopper persona in favor of a performer deeply invested in emotional contemplation. No more swooning grandmas with cheesy love lyrics, no more mushy crooning over feel-good pop beats: just raw, lamenting Diamond.

On Home Before Dark - Diamond’s 29th studio album - the first date jitters between the two are over. Rubin and Diamond appear to be riding the same wavelength on an album that cruises directly to Diamond’s emotional core. Essentially, Home Before Dark isn’t just about an experienced artist, but a well-traveled human being who’s scraping off old poignant scars to discover what lies underneath.

Rubin is credited for Johnny Cash’s career resurrection by doing exactly what he does with Diamond on Home Before Dark. The glitz and flare is tossed aside in favor of stripped-down compositions that force an acoustic guitar in Diamond’s hand and demand him to bare his soul.

But it could’ve been a dangerous proposition for a showtime artist like Diamond. In the aforementioned 12 Songs, Diamond sounded uncomfortable. Had this uneasy songwriting carried over to Home Before Dark, the entire album would have to be considered a disaster.

Fortunately, Home Before Dark rings with a heartfelt chime that sees Diamond comfortable in his new intimate skin. Album opener “If I Don’t See You Again” overcomes reflecting on heartbreak’s melodramatic tendencies by allowing Diamond to sing lyrics that rely on passionate words, not catchy hooks. Diamond saves the annoyingly memorable rhymes for “Pretty Amazing Grace”: the appointed “hit” on Home Before Dark.

“Another Day [That Time Forgot]” - a duet performed with Natalie Maines (Dixie Chicks) - stands out as Home Before Dark’s premiere track. The piano ballad is setup to present Maines and Diamond as two extreme contrasts. When Diamond’s melancholy rhymes seem ready to rip you down into sadness, Maines’ angelic cries feel like a hand plunging into darkness for a dramatic rescue.

Diamond’s self-analysis and subsequent parting wisdom does become hokey towards Home Before Dark’s closing moments. “The Power of Two” laces corny lyrics to reveal a lover’s dependency on his partner while “Slow It Down” puts Diamond in a grandfather-figure role offering warning for you darn kids to stop moving so fast. As “Slow It Down” plods forwards, it’s easy to imagine Diamond sitting in front of a campfire on a tree stump, strumming his acoustic guitar for a campground full of tired-eyed children.

Now that Rubin and Diamond survived their second date with successful results, Diamond’s future doesn’t seem so bleak. Despite the veteran songwriter’s mournful tone, Home Before Dark emits a bright ray that glistens amongst his long list of work.