Whether lamenting over a girl, attempting to exorcise the whole "outlaw" schtick with a stinging, punchy diatribe, or breathing new life into tired C&W standards, Jennings goes straight for the gut [on I've Always Been Crazy]….

This isn't quite the blockbuster Waylon is capable of delivering—I'd like to see him loosen up and rock out more—but it's close enough for now.