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Sometimes great music simply has to wait for the right moment.
For Rodney Crowell, that moment has finally arrived with the release of Then Again, a previously unheard album that sat forgotten in the legendary songwriter’s personal vault for nearly two decades before being rediscovered.
Released today via New West Records, the 10-song collection offers fans a remarkable look back at a creative period in Crowell’s career while featuring an impressive lineup of collaborators, including Guy Clark in what would become the pair’s final recording together. The album also includes appearances by Lyle Lovett, Benmont Tench, and a bonus track featuring Emmylou Harris and Lera Lynn.
“I guess you could call it a lost album,” Crowell said. “I stumbled upon it in my vault at home. I’d forgotten about it completely.”
Originally recorded around 2005 at Nashville’s Treasure Isle Studios, Then Again reunited Crowell with many of the musicians who helped define his acclaimed run of albums including The Houston Kid, Fate’s Right Hand and The Outsider. At the time, however, Crowell felt the new project sounded too similar to those records and made the difficult decision to shelve it before moving on to another creative direction.
Twenty years later, listening with fresh ears changed everything.
“I heard a record I wasn’t sick of,” Crowell reflected. “I was no longer sick of myself. That’s what 20 years will do for you.”
That perspective gives Then Again an emotional weight few albums possess. While the songs were written years ago, they now carry added resonance through the wisdom and life experience Crowell has gained over the past two decades.
Musically, the album moves effortlessly between Americana, country and folk, showcasing the masterful storytelling that has long made Crowell one of Nashville’s most respected songwriters. The collection is both familiar and fresh, allowing listeners to hear a younger version of Crowell while appreciating the perspective of the artist revisiting his own work years later.
Looking back, Crowell now sees the album differently than he did when it was first recorded.
“I just loved what happened once I rediscovered it,” he said. “Then Again is like having one last dance with those guys.”
That sentiment is especially poignant given the appearance of Guy Clark, whose contribution makes the album an important historical document as well as an outstanding musical release.
At its core, Then Again is an album about perspective. Once left behind, it now arrives at a time when Crowell says its themes of life, mortality and gratitude resonate more deeply than ever.
“I’m trying to understand that this spirit of mine is going to leave this body and go off somewhere else,” Crowell said. “I can see that in these songs now.”
For longtime fans of Rodney Crowell, Then Again isn’t simply a lost album finally seeing the light of day. It’s a reminder that great songwriting never goes out of style—and sometimes the right songs simply find their audience when the time is right.
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