Robert Earl Keen - Gravitational Forces [2LP Forest Green]

Gravitational Forces catches Robert Earl Keen in his easygoing prime, now pressed across two green records that give these Texas road songs plenty of room.

Released in 2001 as his first album for Lost Highway, it arrived when Keen was already a cornerstone of Texas songwriting, a storyteller with a devoted following built show by show. Coproduced by Keen and Gurf Morlix, the record keeps things warm and unhurried, letting the band settle into each groove instead of rushing to the chorus.

Hello New Orleans and Not a Drop of Rain both glow with Ian McLagan's Hammond organ, adding a smoky, soulful layer to Keen's dry, conversational delivery. His take on Johnny Cash's I Still Miss Someone strips the classic back to its aching core, sung with the plainspoken honesty that has always been his calling card.

Then there is The Road Goes On Forever, his signature outlaw tale first recorded in 1989, here in a long version that runs past seven minutes and builds patiently into extended solos. It has long been the fan favorite, and this take lets it roll all the way down the highway.

For anyone who loves Texas country with a storyteller's eye, this green double vinyl is a handsome way to hear it again, twenty-five years on.