But What Will the Neighbors Think

Rodney Crowell’s second album for Warner Bros. bridges sleek Los Angeles power pop with the country stylings of Crowell’s native Texas. Crowell moved to L.A. in the late '70s to play guitar for Emmylou Harris, and “It’s Only Rock N Roll” gives an idea of the surreal frustration he witnessed in the industry: “But the record people love you, they can get you on the bill/Change your name to money, dress up fit to kill.” Harris would go on to cover the tune, as well as the classic country breakup song “Ashes By Now,” which Crowell plays as a hushed and measured heartbeat. The best songs here are “Ain’t No Money,” “Oh What a Feeling," and “Blues in the Daytime,” which follows the cloaked, intimate sounds of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”