F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong when he said there were no second acts in American lives. Just look at Rodney Crowell. After an esteemed career as Nashville songwriter (“After All This Time”), guitarist for Emmylou Harris, solo artist and son-in-law of Johnny Cash, Crowell re-emerged in 2001 with The Houston Kid, an incredible CD about growing up poor in H-Town. This, in turn, was followed by 2003’s Fate’s Right Hand and 2005’s The Outsider. All three were powerful collections. Crowell’s second act has been characterized by musical leanness, lyrical purity and an unsparing eye. Sex & Gasoline, Crowell’s latest effort, continues in this tradition, though producer Joe Henry doesn’t do Crowell any favors with his laidback sound. This is an album about women, a personal work for Crowell—as his best tends to be—and the songs bear repeated listens. Too bad Henry saps out most of Rodney’s rockabilly swagger.

-- Leopold Froehlich