Scaled-Down Earle

***STEVE EARLE. “Copperhead Road.” Uni. Country-rock’s great hope of 1986 has scaled down his sights this time out and has come up with a more satisfying album than last year’s “Exit 0,” on which his lofty ambitions outstripped his artistic grasp. Instead of tackling subjects like universal malaise and existential Angst , Earle has brought the focus back to the individual, and that’s where his songwriting strengths lie.

Earle still has his pronounced country drawl, but the musical tone is more than ever shifted toward the rocking side of the Springsteen and, especially, Mellencamp camps.

The album is divided pretty neatly between the social observations on Side 1 and the reflections on personal relationships on Side 2, with Side 1 taking the prize for interest and insight. The title song, in which the tragic sins of father are passed to son to grandson, is a standout.

There’s also a real grace to “Nothing but a Child,” which closes the album on a hopeful note: Despite the disillusionment and failed dreams that litter highways like “Copperhead Road,” as long as there are people there will be new dreams.