On “Old Heart,” Texas singer-songwriter Tom Russell exhorts himself to “get out of bed.” But however weary of life his persona may be, one thing is certain from his 13th release: Russell the artist is as strong as ever. He’s mastered the skill of spinning mundane details into universal gold, and his melodies deliver a knockout punch. The all-original songs on Love and Fear grapple with despair, hope, and “all you little devils of alcohol and caffeine” (from “The Pugilist is 59”). Searing electric lead guitar (by Andrew Hardin) gives the rootsy sound a raw edge, while Gretchen Peters (vocals), Gurf Murlix (bass and slide guitar), Fats Kaplan (steel guitar), Barry Walsh (keyboards), and Rick Richards (drums), among others, contribute to the vibrant and nicely blended textures. Russell uses his deep baritone to chilling effect, taking it down to a ghostly whisper on “Beautiful Trouble” and dramatically intoning spoken lyrics against the rousing rockabilly beat of “Four-Chambered Heart.” Throughout, Hardin is Russell’s ace in the hole; his acoustic picking shades the haunting beauty of the ballads (particularly “K.C. Violin”) with meditative, jazz-influenced lines and single notes that ring with bell-like clarity, underscoring the bittersweet wisdom that Russell imparts on one of his finest CDs to date. (HighTone, www.hightone.com)