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Nothing's gonna change the way you feel about me now --- Justin Townes Earle --- 2012 (Bloodshot)


Ah, like father, like son! Just like his famous daddy did, Justin Townes Earle struggled with a heavy drug addiction which landed him in rehab and had him ejected from father Steve's band the Dukes until he got his act together. It seems he has, and like his dad, having beaten the addiction he's turned his attention fulltime to making music, this being his third full album. Justin began using drugs at the tender age of twelve, and by the time he was in his teens his habit was threatening to destroy his life. Luckily, he saw sense (no doubt drummed into him by his old man, who had gone through the same thing and knew what a destructive force drug addiction is) and got help, and since then he has become one of the rising new stars of the country music circuit, winning the American Music Award for Best Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009, plus nominations for album of the year for his “Midnight at the movies”, as well as artist of the year. He was awarded the AMA for “Harlem River blues” last year, so he definitely looks to have got his life back on track.

His middle name is of course a nod of appreciation to Steve Earle's late mentor and friend, Townes Van Zandt, to whom he dedicated an album some years ago. He's the son of Steve and his third wife, Carol Ann Hunter Earle, their only child, though Steve himself has four children in total, by different women. Justin espouses more the bluegrass side of country mixed with folk elements, and so doesn't quite follow completely in his father's rockin' footsteps, but he's still a chip off the old block, and no doubt the elder Earle is justifiably proud of his eldest child.

There's an immediate mention of Steve in the opening line of “Am I that lonely tonight”, when Justin sings ”Hear my father singing on the radio” --- a unique position to be in, indeed. The song is far more laidback than even the softest of Steve Earle's ballads, with a lot of acoustic guitar and some nice horns from Jordan Lehning. To my mind, J.T sound more like B.S than S.E, which is to say, he sounds more like Springsteen than his father. It's a nice gentle opener, with a very melancholy feel about it, while “Look the other way” is a little more uptempo, but still not what you'd consider rock. This is far more country flavoured with folk than the sort of country/rock his father favours and made popular. More upfront electric guitar here, courtesy of Paul Niehaus, with more horns carrying the mood of the song; possibly a little closer to Steve's early albums like “Guitar Town”, though again nothing as heavy or indeed hillbilly about this music. The title track then is a slow ballad, very bleak and mournful, in which Justin gets to stretch his vocal talents, a soft organ backing from Skylar Wilson setting the backdrop for the song, while jangly guitar again recalls the best of acoustic Springsteen. My only complaint, or comment, at this point, is that Justin's voice is a little too laconic, too much of a drawl, and doesn't seem to inject any real passion into the songs, at least so far. Almost more Chris Martin than Bruce Springsteen, in ways.

It's very relaxing and soulful, but I would like to hear the band break out and if not actually rock, then at least boogie a little. Just up the tempo and have some fun. And this is exactly what happens with “Baby's got a bad idea”, some happy horns and honky-tonk piano bringing a much-needed sense of fun and abandon into the mix, with a great little piano run by Wilson, almost bringing a sense of Dwight Yoakam into the music, then “Maria” keeps things fairly uptempo, with Justin's voice a little more animated, though you still can't imagine him jumping about on stage and shouting “How are y'all tonight?” (though he probably does). He's certainly inherited his father's songwriting talent, as he pens all the tracks on this album himself, and some of them are very good.

No epic tracks here, as you would probably expect. Like his dad, he tends to keep songs within the two or three-minute mark, one or two going over (one going under), with the longest just shy of five minutes. They're small snippets really, some only really getting going when they're over, but none outstay their welcome. Things slow down again for the swing-ballad “Lower East Side”, with a certain sense of his father's “Fort Worth blues” in it, some really nice upright bass and a great little saxophone solo from Geoff Pfeifer, then Paul Niehaus breaks out the steel guitar for the laidback and bleak “Won't be the last time”, his strings expertly crying along with Justin's sombre voice. Some mournful fiddle from Amanda Shires adds to the melancholic atmosphere of the song, and it has the real broken-down-crying-in-a-bar feel about it.

A powerful stab of organ chords changes the mood as “Memphis in the rain” kicks the blues away and rocks out nicely, the horns again adding to the sense of joy in the same way that they can add to the sense of bleak despair on other songs here. Amanda Shires adds her voice to the backing vocals here, and Niehaus's electric guitar carries things along nicely and at a respectable lick. Everything slows right back down though for “Unfortunately Anna”, an almost acoustic slow ballad reminiscent of Dylan or Cohen, with minimal backing, a song which really showcases his powerful if often understated vocal.

The closer, “Movin' on”, has a sort of bluegrass/hillbilly-***-rockabilly sense to it, some welcome harmonica from Cory Younts giving the thing a real Nashville feel merged with the best of the Delta blues. There's a certain feeling of yearning for change in the lyric, as Earle declares ”I'm tryin' to move on” but we get the idea it's not that simple. He notes ”Maybe I should find the moment/ Where my father broke my mother's heart in half/ Or I could just go back to New York City/ And just learn to live with it.” I would hazard this is a reference to his father leaving his mother for his fourth wife, and you can hear that he has some serious issues, pulled between loyalties to one parent or the other. This must indeed be hard, as he's decided to operate in the sphere in which his father holds court, and has, as already mentioned, played in his band.

As an introduction to the son of Steve Earle, it's an interesting revelation. Rather than try to emulate his old man, or copy his music, Justin seems to have carved out his own musical niche. It's not unique by any means, drawing on influences from folk and bluegrass to blues and jazz, but it's his own specific signature sound that he's trying to create and identify with, and for the most part, he seems to have succeeded. It can't be an easy thing, being the son of Steve Earle. No doubt he wants to succeed on his own terms, not just travel along on the coattails of his famous father, and for that he certainly should be applauded. He even resists the urge to include his dad on the album: whether Steve would have guested or not I don't know, as I'm unaware of their current relationship, but it's nice to see that the son is cutting his own path through life, and music, without relying too much on his famous name.

A chip off the old block? Perhaps, but Justin Townes Earle is fashioning his own block, in his own image, and doing very nicely, thank you very much.

TRACKLISTING

1. Am I that lonely tonight
2. Look the other way
3. Nothing's gonna change the way you feel about me now
4. Baby's got a bad idea
5. Maria
6. Lower East side
7. Won't be the last time
8. Memphis in the rain
9. Unfortunately Anna
10. Movin' on

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