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Rodney Crowell: Airline Highway
Rodney Crowell
vocalsUnlike (too) many contemporary country artists, Crowell does not affect a pose. Instead, he proffers himself as an intelligent and discerning soul who has learned much from living life to the fullest (without belaboring the specifics).Layered arrangements such as that of "Sometime Thang" thus match the multi-faceted persona of a man who produced albums for ex-wife
Rosanne Cash
vocalsEmmylou Harris
guitarIn that track, dobro leavens acoustic guitar picking as much as lyrical images conjure a vivid portrait of the character Crowell is describing. Meanwhile, Conrad Choucroun's drums, fused to Rachel Loy's bass, generate understated propulsion for the performance. Producer/musician Tyler Bryant might've brought in his own band The Shakedown to play here, but camaraderie nonetheless abounds within the corps of accompanists on Airline Highway.
In that context then, the ostensible selling points of appearances by Lukas Nelson ("Rainy Days in California"),
Larkin Poe
band / ensemble / orchestraElectric guitars and Catherine Marx' piano on "Some Kind of Woman" perk up the ears to hear descriptive verse of another acquaintance of the author's: that ( same?) individual's personality traits are as colorful as the instrumentation. While this record is not so deeply autobiographical as some previous works of Crowell's such as Tarpaper Sky (New West, 2014) or Triage (RC1, 2021), it is nonetheless personal and resonates as such emotionally speaking as much as the crisp accompaniment does instrumentally.
Recorded and mixed by Trina Shoemaker—who has worked extensively with the
The Wood Brothers
band / ensemble / orchestraThe solemnity with which Rodney Crowell delivers "Simple (You Wouldn't Call It Simple)" rescues the words from cliche as artfully as the upbeat tongue-in-cheek of "The Twenty-One Song Salute (Owed to G.G. Shinn and Cléoma Falcon)" helps pace the ten songs. And the stalwart attitude with which Crowell presents himself vocally on "Don't Give Up On Me" suits the resolute verbiage: it's not necessary to know the specific source(s) of inspiration for the song to appreciate the wisdom the author gleaned from it.
There is no braggadocio in this man's original material, so the humility that underscores the topical themes of "Heaven Can You Help" is unmistakable. As such, Rodney Crowell is actually no one but himself on Airline Highway, even wearing the accoutrements of an Old West maverick in the front cover image. From start to finish of these forty-some minutes, he comes across with a no-nonsense but good-natured candor.
And, in conjunction with this entire ensemble of versatile collaborators, the Houston, Texas native manages to transcend glib musical categorizations such as 'contemporary country' in a fashion that is equal parts frank, forthright and winning. ">
Track Listing
Rainy Days In California; Louisiana Sunshine Feeling Okay; Sometime Thang; Some Kind Of Woman; Taking Flight; Simple (You Wouldn’t Call It Simple); The Twenty- One Song Salute (Owed to G.G. Shinn and Cléoma Falcon); Don’t Give Up On Me; Heaven Can You Help; Maybe Somewhere Down The Road.
Personnel
Rodney Crowell
vocalsTyler Bryant
guitarDavid Grissom
guitar, electricCatherine Marx
pianoEleanor Denig
violinRachel Loy
bassConrad Choucroun
drumsDirk Powell
accordionMegan Lovell
guitar, slideAshley McBride
vocalsCharlie Starr
vocalsAdditional Instrumentation
Rodney Crowell: acoustic guitars, electric guitars; Tyler Bryant: bass, vocals; Catherine Marx: organ; Eleanor Denig: viols, cello; Rachel Loy: background vocal; Conrad Choucroun: percussion; Rebecca Lovell: vocal; Ashley McBryde: vocal; Charlie Starr: vocal; Lukas Nelson: vocal;
Album information
Title: Airline Highway | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: New West Records
Tags
Rodney Crowell
Album Review
Doug Collette
Airline Highway
New West Records
Rosanne Cash
Emmylou Harris
Lukas Nelson
Larkin Poe
Blackberry Smoke
Wood Brothers
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