Artist Justin Townes Earle

Joshua Black Wilkins
Joshua Black Wilkins

Website
Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle's taste for the reassuring corniness of old honky-tonk, bluegrass, and Western swing makes for some captivating deception. Still in his late 20s, Earle uses these velvety sounds to line warped caskets of song. Rather than pour all the hurt out there, Earle's mannered rasp and rosy melodies throw just enough light on things to provide a glimpse. His latest, Harlem River Blues, is his best yet, chock full of drunken charm and aw-shucks bad-assery. While the title track is full-fledged gospel choir sing-along and “Move Over Mama” wails as much as anything Jerry Lee Lewis ever did, cuts like “One More Night In Brooklyn” and “Learning To Cry” slowly two-step through sleepy Sunday mornings.

Updated 09/08/2010