[rating=8.00]
Steve Earle’s always been a feisty cuss, but he knows a good tune when he sings one. While So You Wannabe An Outlaw suggests he’s stirring up his usual anger and insurgency, in truth it’s a remarkably accessible outing, a collection of suitably stomping rockers consistent with his signature sound (the title track, “Looking for a Woman,” “If Mama Coulda Seen Me”) and some surprisingly tender ballads (“News From Colorado,”“Goodbye Michelangelo,” the tattered “The Girl on the Mountain”). Of course, Earle is rarely contrite, and if “Fixin’ To Die” doesn’t afford further affirmation of his unapologetic attitude (“Fixin’ to die, goin’ to hell”) then chances are you’re not getting the point to begin with.
The fact that So You Wannabe An Outlaw maintains Earle’s primal drive and determination suggest that he’s more or less returning to his roots and the hard-bitten sound that marked Copperhead Road, Guitar Town and the like. Unlike the eponymous album which found him paired with Shawn Colvin and content to do covers, or earlier outings that were mainly concerned with political pouting and pontificating; So You Wannabe An Outlaw is rugged, resilient and flush with that same hard-bitten drive and deliberation that makes Earle such an enduring and irascible individual.
Fortunately then, Earle’s gritty demeanor continues to ensure that his attitude and aptitude remain perfectly in sync. If Earle makes an occasional concession to conformity, as evidenced in the sad sway of “You Broke My Heart” or the Dwight Yoakam/Bakersfield steel guitar soaked “Walkin’ in L.A.,” there’s little else here that breaks the mold. That’s good of course; we expect consistency from an artist like Earle and would likely be disappointed if he didn’t deliver. As a result, So You Wannabe An Outlaw becomes a perfect primer as far as Earle’s MO is concerned.
