Joe Ely

Ely hasn't yet learned how to disguise his rather thin timbre behind savvy phrasing, but as a result he projects an attractive openness--country singers (the men, anyway) rarely betray such innocent longing. Not that he's a country singer, exactly--this is real country-rock in a unique blend. And if Ely is only three-quarters of a singer (more like nine-tenths, actually), he's two writers--his silent partner Butch Hancock evokes the eternal cycle of good times and Tuesdays after, of connection and distance, with a delight in wordplay that complements Ely's more direct lyrical style. (Grade: A-)