I have reviewed enough albums to fill the average basement, but when Sting announced that he was putting out new original material for the first time in a decade, I had a pure moment of fan-girling out such as I have never experienced, because ever since “Desert Rose,” Sting has firmly grasped my childhood like Spongebob grasped his jellyfish net. Now, after years of experimental projects and a Police reunion, Sting steers back into port with “The Last Ship.”

The thing to know about “The Last Ship” is that it is less of an album and more of a soundtrack, because Sting initially announced it as a play set to debut on Broadway next year, and some of these songs will be in it. Accordingly, the songs all have pop structures but are more tailored for play-ready moments of loud gang vocals or tender solo moments, an interesting turn for someone used to writing pop classics.

I also could not tell you what the story could be about, but from the lyrics, I can guess that there will be themes of unrequited love, parent-child strife and coming-of-age moments, set among the end of the British shipbuilding industry, something Sting saw firsthand as a child of Wallsend in Newcastle. There are also moments of contemplation on death from the 60-year-old artist, and it throws back to his 1991 album “The Soul Cages,” an album with similar themes.

The music itself is amazing, well worth the 10-year wait (see “And Yet,” and “The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance” for the best parts). Sting feels more real than he ever has, even letting his grizzled Newcastle accent color his poetic lyrics, and the folk-based arrangements showcase flutes, fiddles and violins over a potent backing band.

In keeping with the album’s spirit, Sting pulled in other musicians from within and around Newcastle for collaborations, the best being AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, who may be playing at a lower volume than he is used to but sounds just as at home as a (probably) drunken shipwright. I also have to shout out “The Last Ship (Reprise)” for throwing a hell of a party that involves the Dalai Lama, the Pope and English royalty.

If the music is this wonderful, what will the play look like? I can not wait to see Broadway get nautical.