Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett (1986)

Tracklist

01. Cowboy Man
02. God Will
03. Farther Down The Line
04. This Old Porch
05. Why I Don't Know
06. If I Were The Man You Wanted
07. You Can't Resist It
08. The Waltzing Fool
09. An Acceptable Level Of Ecstasy
10. Closing Time

Lyle Lovett sprang up fully-formed in 1986, the bastard child of Randy Newman and Townes Van Zandt. His eponymous debut set the pace for future releases, balancing near-perfect ballads ("If I Were the Man You Wanted," "Closing Time") with wry, black humor romps ("God Will," "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy"). His singing is also in place here, his voice a subtle expressive tool as dry as the West Texas plains. There are flashes of overproduction, as on the over-amped "You Can't Resist It" (which later found its home on stage in a spare cello arrangement), but overall things are pretty tasteful, like Lovett himself. Also check out Lovett's stunning sophomore effort, Pontiac.

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