20 Signs of Life From 2003

Fifteen years ago, Rodney Crowell’s Diamonds and Dirt finally exposed him directly to the country mainstream. They had long loved the songs Crowell wrote for other artists but largely failed to acknowledge him as anything more than a name in the liner notes. It must seem ironic to him now that the country music establishment is again unwilling to recognize him as he delivers his best work since that landmark release.

Crowell returned to relevance with a decided sense of purpose on 2001’s The Houston Kid, a poignant examination of his youth. But with Fate’s Right Hand, Crowell roars into midlife, offering one of the most resonant and resilient examinations of the period by any writer in recent memory. Whether straining for the eternal over Béla Fleck’s banjo (“Earthbound”) or finding meaning in the present (the rich, airy mix of “Still Learning How to Fly”), Crowell has rarely sounded so confident with his craft or so in control of his demons. His sober self-examination (“Time to Go Inward”), his regret (on the straightforwardly rocking “The Man in Me”) and surprising amounts of guarded optimism (“This Too Will Pass”) are offered in equal measure, showing Crowell is one of the rare songwriters who portrays the human condition without ascribing to stereotypical troubadour angst. For a man who’s been bouncing around the singer-songwriter scene for over 30 years and has 10 albums to his credit, it’s nothing less than astounding that Crowell continues to push himself to such dizzying heights and profound lows. Fate’s Right Hand is a heavy yet hopeful album, as boldly probing as anything he’s attempted, and possibly the crowning achievement of his career. So Far.