Lyle Lovett
Step Inside This House

First Appeared at The Music Box, April 1999, Volume 6, #4

Written by John Metzger

After releasing the beautiful Road to Ensenada in 1996, Lyle Lovett decided to take a break from writing original songs. Instead, he took a step back and revisited the music of those Texas singer/songwriters that inspired him to begin performing many years ago. The result is Step Inside This House, a wonderful two-disc set, which finds Lovett singing the songs of Guy Clark, Walter Hyatt, Eric Taylor, Townes Van Zandt, Steven Fromholz, Robert Earl Keen, and others.  Lovett magically makes all 21 songs his own while also carrying a reverent regard for his heroes. The fact that he sounds so comfortable delivering these classic tunes only proves how much he has actually drawn from both his peers and his influences as he further developed his own style. His voice packs all the emotion one might expect as he delivers with fluid ease and undeniable grace these sometimes humorous, but more often sad stories.

While there isn't a weak point on Step Inside This House, perhaps the greatest highlight is Lovett's rendition of Fromholz's Texas Trilogy. The song is an epic tale of the effect of time and progress on a small Texas town. Lovett has once again assembled a talented band that can blanket a tune with subtle nuance, enhancing the mood inherent in the words that he sings.

Whether one is a fan of Lyle Lovett, or just a fan of solid songwriting, Step Inside This House is well worth a visit. A better tribute to Texas-bred songwriters just can't be found.

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 1999 The Music Box