Chris Knight, who has become Tne of the most prolific songwriters of our time will release his third album, The Jealous Kind on September 23rd on Nashville-based Dualtone Records. Knight, as many might remember came onto the scene in 1998 with his critically acclaimed self-titled debut release that included hits including “It Ain’t Easy Being Me” and “Love and a .45.” Knight hasn’t looked back since.

The Jealous Kind is an album served up without apologies or compromise that will hit you in the gut. Knight’s lyrics are cold-to-the-bone, and have a degree of depth, truth and emotion that make him stand above the vast majority of songwriters in the genre nowadays. While The Jealous Kind isn’t as dark lyrically as A Pretty Good Guy, you will still find that each track in its brilliance carries a degree of emotion that isn’t apparent on the surface….and to understand Knight’s music you will have to delve further into the song, and put yourself into the frame of mind of the characters he’s singing about.

The title track opens the album and is easily one of the best tracks on the album. It tells the story of a man trying to save his lover from choosing another, only to be stopped by the police. There’s a slight eeriness in the music that perfectly sets the mood for the song.

I got a letter from Maria
You know her English ain't that good
But what she meant
Was easily understood
If I’m gonna keep her
I’d better get there quick
The thought of her with somebody else
Just makes me sick

I’ve never drove two days through the pouring rain
Just stopping for coffee
And gas
Never out run the law on the interstate
Didn’t know this thing would go that fast
I’ve never been in this deep before
But there's always a first time
Then again i ain't ever been the jealous kind

Outlaw themes run rampant on Knight’s albums, but not all of them have a dark side to them. “The Border” is a perfect example that there’s not always a dark side to an outlaw’s life.

The sun fell on Loretta
Asleep in the back of the van
Jim smoked his Camel
And stared across the Rio Grande
He said hey wake up Loretta
We’ve got some work to do
Gotta see a friend of a friend down in Vera Cruz

They’re walking on the border
Love that wild side
They’re walking on the border
Ain’t they feeling fine

Back in Brownsville Texas
A week on down the road
They ran out of American money
Ran out of Mexico

They were kissing on the corner
Ain’t it good to be alive
Then they crashed the door of the liquor store
She handed him his forty-five

Love is a recurring theme in many songs, whether you’re an outlaw or not. But love also has its down sides. We know that love isn’t always perfect, and that relationships don’t necessarily last forever. “Stayin’ Up All Night Long” examines a relationship gone bad, and a man rationalizing about why:

You must be studying cheating songs
To be so good at doing me wrong i drive
By and your light's still on
You’re staying up all night long

Staying up all night long

You’ve been out in the singles bars
Covering tracks and hiding your car
Honey you're working way too hard
You’re staying up all night long

There was a time when you could have hurt me
Back when i needed you
I walked the floor and i did some crying
But honey I’m all through

Staying up all night long
Staying up all night long

To this point, Knight’s brilliance has shone through. But what Knight is best known for are his dark songs that were very much a recurring theme in his sophomore album A Pretty Good Guy. Fans, don’t fear, there are plenty of those on A Jealous Kind as well. “Carla Came Home” is a dark and chilling song about a father killing his son-in-law because he felt he was “no good.” Not exactly the way Carla had planned to spend her Christmas.

Add in acoustic songs “Broken Plow” and “Long Black Highway” to the mix, and you’ll get a good dose of what you’re accustomed to from Knight. Never before have Knight’s acoustic songs left such a bone-chilling effect as they have here…and true fans of Knight will appreciate them for all they’re worth. Other standout tracks on the album include “Devil Behind the Wheel” and “Me and This Road.”

Knight is a songwriters songwriter, and has been compared to many greats including Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen, and songwriting is one thing that Knight prides himself on.

”Basically, Chris writes four minute movies," Dan Baird (producer of The Jealous Kind) says. "When we first started, he wanted to make a really rocking record. But it turned out to almost be a sort of 'hard folk' album. The music has plenty of electric guitar, but its muscle is primarily acoustic driven. Chris wanted everything real up, so everybody played with abandon. No one in the band was fearful of not doing something cool."

"As a producer, you've got to get to the point where Chris can open his mouth and the character in the song comes to life. Every time he shuts his mouth to take a breath, you can't have screaming guitars in there filling the hole. You have to be able to think, 'Wow, what did he just say? What's gonna happen next?'"

What’s going to happen next for Knight is anybody’s guess, but with two critically-acclaimed albums under his belt, and an album that will be tabbed as “unforgettable” and “one of a kind” due out next month, big things are in store for Knight. This just may be the album that lands him in the big time.