Speak of the Devil is among Chris Isaak’s most consistent and compelling albums. Released in 1998, it features, like most of Isaak’s recordings, a timeless quality that could easily send it back decades except for certain nods towards modernity. The electric guitar that drives “Please” updates his sound quite convincingly and adds an extra layer of tension. “Flying” adds an additional layer of euphoria, before settling into Isaak’s trademarked foggy-day noir romanticism of the shuffling “Walk Slow,” the nostalgic beach winds and Roy Orbison croon of “Breaking Apart,” the perfect tortured heart of the title track, and the heart-stopping austerity of “Don’t Get So Down on Yourself.” Isaak is in a class by himself, creating music that only he is capable of pulling off without sounding like a hopeless throwback. “This Time” creates a Southern California take on country-western that’s not indebted to Gram Parsons, while “Like the Way She Moves” chases the blues in its own idiosyncratic way.