The Houston Kid

That moment has now been translated into a song 'I Walk The Line (Revisited)', which is pivotal to his new album. His former father-in-law puts in an appearance too, which kind of brings things full circle to the moment that first inspired Crowell to become a songwriter. Since then, Crowell has tried to combine his love of country music's storytelling with the musicality and beat of The Beatles - a balancing act he has pulled off with no little success.

The Houston Kid continues that blend but leans heavily to the former in its sense of people and place. The fact that he recorded and paid for it himself gives the album an edge and energy his previous albums, in their search for a place on radio, lacked. The death of his mother in 1998 also freed him to write about some of the more painful aspects of his growing up in Texas, another factor which adds to the record's raw, emotional power.

But Crowell also looks inside the lives of other outsiders. The songs tackle such hard, non-radio-friendly subjects as AIDS ('I Wish It Would Rain' and 'Wandering Boy') and domestic violence ('Topsy Turvey' and 'The Rock Of My Soul'), with all the skill and sensitivity of the crafted songwriter he has become. Songs worthy of his mentors Guy Clark and the late Townes Van Zandt, they feature many lyrics worthy of quotation but are best appreciated while listening to the music that accompanies them. Guitarist Stuart Smith is again a key figure - in particular his playing on 'Wandering Boy' a striking counterpoint to the song's message of understanding.

The Houston Kid is the work of a man who has found his true voice. Likely to prove Rodney Crowell's most enduring work, it draws from the past to give him a future. This kid is more than alright.