A quarter-century into his recording career, Rodney Crowell delved deep and came up with a stunning work of art on Fate’s Right Hand (2003). The Texas-born singer/songwriter had enjoyed both commercial success and critical praise — now he was ready to face up to the big questions of life, loss and suffering without worrying about the marketplace. As on 2001’s The Houston Kid, Crowell couches his confessions in country-rock terms, invoking everyone from Roy Orbison to Marty Robbins and the Beatles in his tunes. Aiding him are such Nashville notables as banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, guitarist Richard Bennett and singers Gillian Welch and Kim Richey, among others. Whether he’s updating rockabilly in “This Too Shall Pass,” reworking bluegrass in “Preachin’ To The Choir” or recalling the British Invasion with “Come On Funny Feeling,” his touch is sure. It’s the lyrics, though, that distinguish this album. Songs like “Riding Out The Storm” and “Earthbound” search for hope in a fallen world, painting their themes with sweeping imagery. On “Still Learning How To Fly,” Crowell reveals a rage to live that’s thrilling to hear. By owning up to long-buried fears and dreams, Fate’s Right Hand grabs the listener’s heart.