Rodney Crowell

If nothing else, Rodney Crowell is a searcher, a trait that infuses his songwriting more and more. For all the acclaim and opportunities that always seemed just out of reach for him since he got his first break as a member of Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, Crowell’s work has never succumbed to a jaded sense that his best days were behind him. He definitely revealed that sense on his last album, The Houston Kid, a personal journey back to his troubled childhood. Now with Fate’s Right Hand he’s brought his search up to the present, evident right from the start on "Still Learning How To Fly,” a touching ode to life’s eternal mysteries. In fact, adapting to change seems to be the predominant lyrical theme on this effort, as it pops up in one form or another on the title track, "It’s Time To Go Inward,” "It’s A Different World Now” and "This Too Will Pass” (this last one a nod to George Harrison). Crowell’s philosophising may not be to everyone’s taste, and his song-craft might still retain a bit too much Nashville slickness, despite some nice bluegrass touches from Jerry Douglas and Bela Fleck. Still, it’s hard to argue with Crowell’s intent to keep asking himself some tough questions. Let’s hope the search continues.