Rodney Crowell has written some great songs in his career, and a few of them are even on this album. Unfortunately, Sex and Gasoline is a little too hit-or-miss to praise outright. Taken separately, songs like "Closer to Heaven" (purchase/download) are honest, introspective tunes about dealing with a less-than-stellar world. Sometimes these songs hit, and sometimes they miss.
Hits and Misses
Sex and Gasoline kicks off with the title track (purchase/download, which is easily one of the finest moments on the album. "This mean old world runs on sex and gasoline," he sings in a voice with just enough snarl that the line rings true as both a personal and political statement. Sonically, it falls somewhere between Tom Petty and post-1970s Bob Dylan, which is precisely where Crowell's aesthetic is at its best.
As the album progresses, though, he leans more toward the aesthetic of the sensitive singer-songwriter. Sometimes it works ("The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design" | purchase/download) and other times it feels a little forced, cliched and un-genuine ("Truth Decay" | purchase/download). Taken separately, the songs might work a little better, but as a cohesive collection, Sex and Gasoline is as incongruous as the world it seeks to editorialize. Then again, maybe that's the point.
