Sex & Gasoline

Don't let the cover art throw you — Sex & Gasoline is hardly midlife crises themed, though Rodney Crowell's lyrics do often touch on how aging makes it increasingly harder to keep up with the ongoing roles that men and women play. His 14th album stands strong with a backbone of seasoned musicians supporting a wise and weathered bard who muses with unapologetic candor. Joe Henry's production balances classic tones with a contemporary clarity that mirrors Crowell's songs by equalizing rootsy with relevant. "Moving Work Of Art" is a poignant piece founded on acoustic arpeggios and a pedal steel over which Crowell croons about everyday gender roles and how men put women on dangerous pedestals (and how women often step up to them despite knowing better). He further ponders sexual identities on "The Rise And Fall Of Intelligent Design" where he hypothetically wonders if becoming a female would make him a better man. Henry steps out of the mixing booth and up to the mic to duet with Crowell on the exceptional "I've Done Everything I Can." It invites the listener to eavesdrop on two old friends talking about the difficulty of starting over following a great loss. Sex & Gasoline is as honest as music gets.