It might be easy to be cynical about an album that opens with a song about “true believers” and ends with Nanci Griffith singing “Here’s to all the dreamers”—but if anyone will convert listeners to a kind of literary optimism, it’s the Texas singer-songwriter who carved out her own gentle, hypnotic corner of the Austin post-outlaw scene. The Last of the True Believers shows Griffith at her twangiest, a treat for those who want to bop along to her sharply observed lyrics (the release is dedicated to Count Basie, who Griffith says “once made [her] clumsy feet dance”). Griffith’s fourth studio album got enough attention to finally earn the singer-songwriter a major label deal as well as a Grammy nomination. Despite being recognised in the Folk category, the album had a much stronger country bent than her prior releases—deploying an all-star backing band that included Béla Fleck and Mark O’Connor to expand Griffith’s sonic palate. Its centrepiece, the heart-wrenching and warming “Love at the Five & Dime”, became Kathy Mattea’s breakthrough single, reaching No. 3 on Billboard’s country charts just months after the release of Griffith’s album. Griffith’s version, though, is unforgettable, understated and deeply felt with harmony vocals by Lyle Lovett and perfect pedal steel by the iconic Lloyd Green. The singer-songwriter channels bluegrass on “St Olav’s Gate” and “Banks of the Pontchartrain”, and classic roadhouse Texas country on the instantly charming “Lookin’ For the Time (Workin’ Girl)”, The title track looks forward to ’90s-styled country-folk-pop, and “Goin’ Gone” backwards with its rich, classic harmonies. Across styles, Griffith’s meaty songwriting is constant, always looking upwards and outwards rather than navel-gazing. She grounds those careful, optimistic lyrics in compelling melodies, making it easy to remember her bright mantras and stories. After all, as Griffith puts it on the album’s final track: “We’ll have memories for company, long after the songs are gone.”