Newman is noted as a lyricist of considerable sophistication. He often writes songs from unusual perspectives, often utilizing an unreliable narrator. For example, "Sail Away" is a slave trader's come-on, "Birmingham" is written from the perspective of a man—"a roller in a steel mill"—who loves his ordinary life in Birmingham, Alabama, while "Political Science" complains of worldwide hatred of America and proposes a final solution in a brutally ironic way. His many place-name songs, which are often archetypal examples of ambivalent Americana, include "I Love L.A.", "Baltimore", "Louisiana 1927", and "Dayton, Ohio - 1903". Newman is also a consummate musician whose deceptively simple songs mask complex craftsmanship, and he is a skilled arranger. As a singer, Newman's drawl is reminiscent of that of blues artists like Sonny Boy Williamson and of New Orleans rock-and-roll singers like Chris Kenner.