Justin Townes Earle, “Midnight at the Movies” from Bloodshot Records on Vimeo.
I’m increasingly impressed with what I’m hearing from Justin Townes Earle. Young J.T. has alot to live up to, and to my ears he’s delivering. Combine some of the best features of his namesake, Townes Van Zandt, in the family business established by his father Steve Earle; mix heavily with classic country undertones in the tradition of Hank Williams and you’ve got a heck of a potential.
It’s taken a while for Justin to find his own path. He made an interesting point to NPR last year: How do you rebel against a rebel like Steve Earle?
“I mean I didn’t do anything differently than what my father was doing,” he says. “It’s a really hard family to rebel in. I could have become an accountant. Or I could have become a Republican — that would have really pissed him off.”
So far J.T. isn’t on the stump for the GOP, but he has mostly eschewed the political posturing of his father. I appreciate that. His new release, Midnight at the Movies, is a bit more mellow now, with a bit more production, a bit more introspective I suppose. I’m willing to listen and see where this path winds.
J.T. is playing Snowbird in Utah tonight with Cowboy Junkies and Son Volt (I’m liking Mr. Farrar’s latest as well), then at the No Depression festival in Washington state this weekend. Catch him if you can.
Check out Bloodshot Records’ release Midnight at the Movies here.
Follow Justin T. Earle on Twitter.
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