Plenty of diversity can be found on the new Lyle Lovett album
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Lyle LovettA little country, a little folk, a little gospel, a little big band, a little bluegrass and a whole lot more fill Lyle Lovett’s final album for Curb/Universal, a fitting finale to this chapter of his career.
Lyle Lovett’s been in the spotlight since 1986 and through all these years he’s been marked by a simple word – class.
Along with Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Jerry Jeff Walker, the late Waylon Jennings and Townes Van Zandt, Lovett has just been one of dozens of writers who’ve helped define the Texas music scene. But perhaps none have done it with as much versatility as Lovett.
Just months after releasing a Christmas EP, “Songs for the Season,” Lovett returns with “Release Me,” a collection of well known songs and obscurities.
It’s a diverse collection, not surprising for Lovett.
There’s plenty for country and bluegrass fans, ranging from the opening fiddle-flying “Garfield’s Blackberry Jam,” to the sizzling Van Zandt highway song “White Freightliner Blues,” and the roadhouse piano-backed “Keep it Clean.”.
The set includes two songs from the holiday EP, “The Girl with the Holiday Smile,” and “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” each featuring Austin, Tex.-based singer Kat Edmonson on backing vocals and harmonies.
Through it all, Lovett’s voice remains cool and rich, a commanding force that can even lift the album’s weakest songs. Case in point: “One Way Girl,” a song that’s as drab as anything Lovett has recorded in years.
No matter. That’s the exception. When you get into the heart of the album and songs like “Release Me,” the 1950’s classic “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” and the rich mournful ballad “Understand You,” you get a feel for what the album’s about.
The finale, “Keep us Steadfast,” a piano parlor hymnal is stunning in its beauty and guaranteed to lure in the listener.
Songs to Download: “Keep Us Steadfast,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”
Rating Scale: One Star (poor) to Five Stars (a classic).
