Rodney Crowell

Sure, he wrote one of 2005's biggest hits in country music ("Making Memories of Us"), but Crowell is no Music Row hack. In this vital release, he takes on the Iraq conflict and pampered stars with the same ferocity as his hit single. The hymnal "Ignorance Is the Enemy" stands out on this confident, mature document of our troubled times.

One more pissed-off patriot heard from ("The Obscenity Prayer [Give It to Me]," "Don't Get Me Started"). (Grade - ***)