Step Inside This House, in a way, is a perfect follow-up to
The Road to Ensenada, his straightest country album since his debut, taking
Lyle Lovett back to the very beginning, as he covers his favorite songwriters. He consciously avoids such obvious influences as
Randy Newman and
Jesse Winchester, choosing to concentrate almost solely on Texan singer/songwriters, resulting in a minor revelation.
Lovett's place in Texas' progressive country tradition has always been evident, and his good taste has never been in question, but this not only confirms his strength as a performer, but also illustrates the origins of his clear, wry narratives. He not only sheds light on songwriters known better for their reputation than their actual recordings (
Townes Van Zandt,
Guy Clark,
Walter Hyatt,
Michael Martin Murphey,
Robert Earl Keen), yet he carries a torch for obscure names like
Eric Taylor,
Vince Bell and Craig Calvert,
David Rodriquez, and Steve Fromholz, who has no less than four songs on the album. For all the different writers, what's striking about
Step Inside This House is how all the songs seem to spring from the same worldview. Few covers albums are as unified and
Lovett's achievement is particularly noteworthy since none of the songs are standards. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine