*** Joe Ely

TWISTIN' IN THE WIND

(MCA Nashville)

The latest from Texas rambler Joe Ely displays plenty of his pithy high-plains poetry and hard country sound, with more of an electric edge than on 1996's well-regarded Letter to Laredo. A former Flatlander (Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock were the other two), Ely offers earnest, matter-of-fact vocals, earthy observations, and straight-ahead rhythms that are the very essence of the style industry types now call Americana. A descending slide guitar and thumping bass drum lay the stark foundation for the secular sermon "Roll Again"; the rocking laborer's lament "You're Working for the Man" brings to mind the best of Springsteen's early work. Ely places his lazy-mouthed vocals in a simple setting spiced up with a smorgasbord of border sounds: Spanish-style acoustic guitar dramatizes several cuts, there's a little accordion here and a little slide guitar there, and an old-fashioned twin guitar shootout even turns up on one number. He also has fun with the lilting Tejano novelties "If I Could Teach My Chihuahua To Sing" and "Nacho Mama." Twistin' in the Wind isn't as deep as Ely can go, but it's a strong dose of his flinty blend of mindfulness and muscle.

-- Bill Kisliuk