Kinky Friedman (record release)

At 73, Kinky Friedman’s signature satire has shifted from infamously ribald to reflective social commentary. Not that the politico firebrand has lost his biting wit or cigar chomped, groaning one-liners, but his exceptional songwriting finally sits front and center. 2015 brought his first new studio recordings in over four decades, and latest Circus of Life spins more impressive narratives of his down-but-not-out characters searching for redemption among the ruins. – Doug Freeman