Rex Moroux

“Talking about the influence of Bob Dylan on American songwriters is like asking Plato about Socrates,” Rex Moroux recently replied to a question about his inspirations in an online interview. Don’t bother to say what you’re thinking, because Moroux beat you to it: “O sweet asshole I am for giving you that one, right?”

Well, yeah. But there’s a big difference between copping to Dylan’s influence and making something out of it. Moroux, a playwright turned itinerant troubadour, builds on his legendary forebear’s example in songs that mix rough poetry, sharp observations and a self-deprecating wit. “Cincinnati,” from his second album, Royal Street Inn, reportedly took only minutes to write, but it’s one of those songs you instantly think you’ve known forever.

Moroux’s eye remains keen on These Bricks Are Bleeding, his third collection of rootsy rock tunes that sound not just lived-in, but also slept-in and often woke-up-pasty-mouthed-in. Where it stands out most from his previous albums is in Roger Greenawalt’s savvy arranging and production. A weepy pedal steel scraps with what sounds like scuzzy fiddle and squalling guitar in the decidedly Dylanesque “Whatcha Doin’ Downtown?,” while angelic backing singers, swaggering horns, accordion and bassoon add color elsewhere. That Moroux is never overshadowed by his busy surroundings is a testament to his hearty character.

Rex Moroux opens for Virginia Coalition and the Alternate Routes at Highline Ballroom Thu 24.