Eternal and Lowdown

If we take even a small percentage of Ray Wylie Hubbard's lyrics on Eternal and Lowdown literally, then he's due to serve several millennia in purgatory (if not someplace hotter) for his lifestyle. The album overflows with first-person tales of reprobates whose reckless actions imperil both their earthly lives and their immortal souls. The greasy, bluesy slide guitar licks framing Hubbard's raw-throated rumble make all that sinning sound irresistible. Even when Hubbard lets in a little tenderness on the Southern soul–inflected "Didn't Have a Prayer" or the quiet, reflective "After All These Years," you know that whiskey grin can't be far from his lips.