I hope I’m not being too harsh when I say that The Road to Ensenada was Lyle Lovett’s last great album. He’s made several good ones since then, but nothing that compares to his output from 1986-1996.

In fact, Lovett released six full-length albums of original material during his first decade as a recording artist and has released only two in the 13 years since. He has filled the rest of that time with soundtrack appearances, covers albums and a live release. I often wonder about those bursts of creativity that give way to long dry spells, and Lovett is another example. I don’t necessarily suspect that his best work is behind him, but I wonder if he still possesses the creative fire that led to that extraordinary run.

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