Shane Dwight to play his first show in five years at Sly’s.

After a divorce, Shane Dwight accepted that music is the love of his life, his perfect companion, an extension of himself. In sickness and health, Dwight’s now married to his music.

The relationship shift has trampolined his productivity, which is important if you want to survive in the sea of songwriters that is his adopted home base of Nashville, Tennessee. Dwight’s written between 60 and 70 songs this year alone, and released a new record, This House, his best yet.

The opening track “Stepping Stone” kicks off the album with a layer of reverberation echoing The Black Keys’ modernization of the blues. Dwight carries that tone throughout all 12 tunes, while simultaneously embracing Nashville’s country-oriented influence.

The songs were written at the same period as when he wrote his previous record, 2011’s A Hundred White Lies, so thematically, Dwight’s focus is still on divorce and admitting that his bad choices played a big part in the split. With tunes like “I’m a Bad Man” and “Bad For You,” featuring lines like “this heart is frozen” and “I’ve tried loving but I kept losing,” Dwight’s still trying to forgive himself and pick up the pieces.

In the meantime, he’s given his live show a complete overhaul, adding a modern Nashville flavor to his sets that traditionally stuck to juke joint blues tunes. Dwight also sprinkles some current country covers in there like Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel.”

The revamped set hits Sly’s Saturday. It’s been about five years since Dwight played the Peninsula blues bar – he estimates that he performed there at least 50 times before moving to Nashville, but hopes to make it a regular tour stop again. After all, Sly’s has always been one of Dwight’s healthiest relationships.

SHANE DWIGHT 8pm Saturday, Nov. 29. Sly McFly’s, 700 Cannery Row, Monterey. Band donations accepted. 372-1955.