How many male singer-songwriters have the guts to write, "If I could have just one wish/Maybe for an hour/I'd want to be a woman/And feel that phantom power"? That's what Rodney Crowell does in "The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design," one of a number of captivating, autobiographical songs on Sex & Gasoline, all of which were inspired by women. If the cartoonish cover photo suggests that females frighten him, the songs bear out an opposite truth, as the album explores--and at times nearly worships--feminine strength. In what nearly amounts to an audio diary, he tracks intimate moments with his wife, daughters, friends, and the women he observes from afar (including a screen goddess in "Moving Work of Art"). Though the lyrical tone ranges from biting and Dylanesque (the title song, about the objectification of women in advertising and the media) to tender and confessional ("Forty Winters"), more often than not, Crowell finds empathy with his subjects, his aching tenor taking on a mellow resolve. (Producer Joe Henry keeps the backing sparse and uncluttered.) Returning from a six-year hiatus in 2001, Crowell pushes himself harder each time out, making his transition from Top 40 hitmaker to Americana god, a rich and powerful journey with no end in sight. -– Alanna Nash