Down to Believing is Moorer’s ninth album since 1998’s Alabama Song (including the live Show), plus nominations for an Academy Award and a Grammy. Taken as a body of work those nine records contain some of the bravest, most directly confessional work of any songwriter.

The recording of Down to Believing began in January of 2012, the same month her son John Henry received a formal diagnosis of autism, and continued sporadically for almost two years. “Mama Let the Wolf In,” her response to that diagnosis, has all the rumble and rage of vintage Creedence. She cut “Thunderstorm Hurricane” with a temperature, in the heat of the moment, as it were. And so the album evolved.

There is the other songwriter in her life, ex-husband Steve Earle. “Among my many teachers,” she says, “he has probably been the most valuable one to me at this point. He taught me many things about songwriting. I think we taught each other a lot about art and the different ways you can make it, the different ways you can absorb it. Living with someone who is that talented for seven years rubbed off on me. He taught me a great deal; I have no regrets about our relationship.”

It takes only an instant for Allison to gather herself. “I’m prouder of these songs than any I’ve ever written,” she says. “I guess that’s a good thing because all I really want to do is get better.”

“I used to have this dream,” Allison says. “This dream that I would get to a certain point in my life and it would be smooth sailing. I could relax. I’ve about decided that’s probably not going to happen and it’s probably not something that I even want to happen.”

Which, for better and worse, is where the songs come from.

Track listing:

1. Like It Used To Be
   
2. Thunderstorm/Hurricane
   
3. I Lost My Crystal Ball
   
4. Down To Believing
   
5. Tear Me Apart
   
6. If I Were Stronger
   
7. Wish I 04:29
   
8. Blood
   
9. Mama Let The Wolf In
   
10. I’m Doing Fine
    
11. Back Of My Mind
    
12. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
    
13. Gonna Get It Wrong