Rodney Crowell 's new album is not necessarily the project fans might have expected from him in this cultural moment — but it's also a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Crowell is one of country music's most iconic songwriters, with every new collection of songs displaying his long-held penchant for digging deep into musical and emotional exploration.

He holds true to that for Airline Highway , but he also departs from his normal modus operandi for an album that leans into feel-good songs.

The album tends to highlight more accelerated tempos, long instrumental passages and an overall sunnier look at the world — seemingly despite the fact that it arrives at what many see as a very difficult time.

That's not true of all of the songs. Crowell himself points to tracks including "Taking F

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