Over the years, Darrell Scott has proven himself an exceptional singer/songwriter as well as a guitarist of formidable skill. A Crooked Road offers two discs’ worth of his folk and country-rooted tunes, with Scott handling all the instruments as well production duties. His burly voice conveys a bruised sort of strength, helping him to bring out the poignancy within “Love’s Not Through With Me Yet,” “Colorado,” and “Oh Sweet Longing.” His painterly lyric style displays an old-fashioned grace in tunes like “The Open Door” and the title number. Moving beyond matters of the heart, he flashes a fierce anger at injustice in “The Day Before Thanksgiving,” and the stinging “Snow Queen and Drama Llama” gives vent to Scott’s blues-rock instincts. A scattering of cogent, luminous instrumentals (including the bubbly “Some Other Time” and the slightly baroque “Pester Lester) reveal yet another side to his talents. “This Beggar’s Heart” closes the album on a poignant note. A Crooked Road is the work of an artist at the top of his craft.