This is the sound of a man on a mission – to restore his good name. His good name, that is, for what he terms “that collision of Bill Monroe meeting the Ramones”.

When Yoakam first surfaced on the cowpunk wave in the mid 1980s, his sharp, infectious twang showed traces of The Beatles and The Byrds alongside the more orthodox Nashville strains of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

Over the years he slipped into cruise control, but this album cranks up the raw power as he and his sharp band revisit old glories with renewed appetite.

There are 10 tracks – eight originals and two covers. The pick of the former are the title track and a searing Liars while the tra- ditional Man of Constant Sorrow is liberated by a good thrashing.

His voice at 58 remains in great nick; even his Elvis shapes on The Big Time pulse with fun and fervour.