Steve Earle: "I Feel Alright"

Transatlantic, TRA CD 227 (39 mins) Dial-a-track code: 1531

And so to the good news. Steve Earle consolidates his remarkable, comeback of last year with this strong collection of gritty rockers and heartfelt ballads. Loath as one is to quoted record company press releases (I mean, one has pride!) a section of his biography downloaded from his US record company's World Wide Web site, www.wbr.com, tells his tale of wonder and woe succinctly:

"There are a lot of ways you can describe Steve Earle: renegade rocker, country maverick, American poet, hopeless romantic, serial husband, committed father, ceaseless friend, recovering junkie, muscle car aficionado, fearless heart. But to really understand what ties all these disparate elements together, it comes down to a single word - survivor."

Last year's Train A Corn in' was a revelation. Forsaking the trappings of rock, both lifestyle and music, he returned to the well of his bluegrass roots in an attempt to revitalise a career that had driven at speed from the verge of stardom to a cell in a south Nashville prison. It worked. I Feel Alright is somewhat more hard edged in its musical personality, with snatches of raw blues replacing the bluegrass leanings of Train A Comin. At the core is his harmonica and driving acoustic guitar, leading what is a rough but effective studio combo. These songs are not nursery rhymes; CCKMB is a junkie's blues, You're Still Standing There (duet with the wonderful Lucinda Williams) could be likewise; the title track faces up to his own image and Valentine's Day reeks of romantic remorse. Earle writes all 12 tracks and sings throughout with his usual life stained assurance. There are no cheap and easy lectures; this is music inspired by a life more tortured than most, but certainly no less honest or worthy for that.

Mike Henderson: "Edge of Night"

Dead Reckoning, DR 0004 (34 mins) Dial a track code: 1641

Kevin Welch: "Life Down Here On Earth"

Dead Reckoning, DR 0003 (41 mins) Dial a track code: 1751

Both of these guys were on the recent Night of Reckoning mini tour which lit up a recent Sunday in Whelan's in Dublin. The tour, which also featured Kieran Kane and Tammy Rogers, was novel in that the four acts combined to form a band. And what an excellent band it proved to be. I knew little of Mike Henderson, and his bar room style of singing, playing and performing was one of the highlights of the night; you just knew he was a veteran of many such gigs as the self deprecating lyrics barked from his mouth and his fingers plucked out the kind of twang that fuels hot, honky tonk southern nights.

His current album, almost inevitably, doesn't manage to capture the same spirit, but it is a worthy collection nonetheless. Henderson is a country player who knows the blues or vice versa. His guitar style is expressive, even flashy, but the years of playing have honed his craft. The material is a mixture of covers and originals. The best of the latter is One Foot In, The Honky Tonk, while his version of Jerry Irby's Drivin Nails In My Coffin is as memorable as the title of the song. Certainly he is a man worth checking out.

Welch also starred on the Whelan's stage, but he is very much a singer songwriter in the broadly folk/country tradition. The songs vary in quality, though on the night they all sounded good. On album their appeal is more limited, though Amsterdam and the title track remain compelling pieces.

Etta James: "The Genuine Article"

MCA/Chess, CHD 9361 (75 mins)

Dial-a-track code: 1861

Finally, a big thumbs up for this collection, which pulls together some of this excellent blues singer's work. Currently back in vogue with Willie Dixon's I Just Want To Make Love To You, James was a supreme blues shooter before she fell prey to heroin. She was never very subtle, but boy could she shake those rafters. Thankfully a junkie no more, she now makes up for lost time. "The young white kids, the ones that buy the records, they never heard of me. The only thing they heard of that reminds them is that voice. That reminds them of something, and who it reminds them of is Janis Joplin. They know they like that, so they should be made aware of who Janis Joplin was singing like." Amen to that.