A poetic songwriter with a strong spiritual bent, Ray Wylie Hubbard has been at the center of Texas folk music for three decades. Composer of the 1970s outlaw country anthem, "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother," Ray Wylie's broader work demonstrates a powerful songwriting and vocal talent. On his just-released album, Growl (Rounder), the troubador with the unvarnished, full-bodied voice returns to the feisty and funky musical realms of his past, showcasing his fingerpicking and bottleneck chops and turning to muses like Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins for inspiration as he fashions his own brand of bohemian Texas blues.