Rodney Crowell has had an interesting career. He could fit in on a list of great country and folk storytellers who have attracted a cult. Yet, he also had a brief run at the top of the charts that many of the best songwriters don’t enjoy. Now, he’s not singular in this (Steve Earle, Roseanne Cash, Emmylou Harris and so on) but there’s not too many, and I think he’s likely to be looked over because of this.
Indeed, if I had not added SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel to my musical diet, I likely would not have discovered his 21st Century material
2019’s Texas was praised by the UK music press who ironically seem to appreciate the Americana genre more than we do. Texas was also on my Year End Best list as well.
On that album, Crowell was supported by an All Star cast and the songs felt chameleonic as he would adapt to his guest whether it was Billy Gibbons, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr, Steve Earle or Lyle Lovett.
Triage has a slightly different feel. It certainly has a reflective, plaintive looking-back-at-life-from-near-the-end feel. Crowell doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, but he is now in his 70s and made it through a fight with a nervous system illness from 2016 through 2018.
All About Love is to me, the gem here- with its references to Trump, Putin and Greta Thunberg among others. But it is also kind of the exception to a generally more somber collection of songs. A title like “The Body Isn’t All There is to Who I Am” is pretty illuminating to the content to expect.
Triage certainly will be more of a cult appeal. More in line with something someone like Jim Lauderdale or Jerry Jeff Walker or any number of those of Crowell’s peers that put songwriting ahead of charts and sales.
(This video seems to be blocked in a bunch of countries- sorry)
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