Harlem River Blues [CD]

I think your own reviewer does a huge diservice to the first two JTE records, but he's correct in saying that this is his best work so far and he sounds like a guy who knows it too. He sounds like he has new found confidence in his ability and is having the time of his life. justin doesnt muck about this album being recorded in 3 days and it sounds so fresh.

Justin sounds joyous in the title track as he talks of drowning himself in the Harlem river, it's an exciting vibrant track no matter how many times you play it. "One More Night In Brooklyn" was the first new track I heard but it's slowed down here and probably works better for it. "Move Over Mama" hits you over the head it rocks and sounds rather like it could have came from Sun Records. The consistency continues with "Working for the MTA" and the fabulous "Wanderin'" which is definately a toe tapper and a gospel feel to it. "Slippin' and Slidin'" sounds like a rock n roll ballad and there is nothing wrong with that.
"Learning To Cry" is for me the weakest track on the album BUT on an album as good as this thats a huge compliment. "Christchurch Woman" and "Ain't Willin'" are both great too and the album (apart from a reprise of the title track) closes with "Rogers Town" which too the unknown listener sounds like Justin has matured as a songwriter its a truly great song but Justin recently revealed that he wrote this when he was just 18.

If this doesn't win him more plaudits and get him more recognition than just being Steve Earle's son nothing will.

Justin is doing a seven date tour of the UK in November, Ive already seen him once live and he is awesome and the tickets are so cheap for such a great performer. Ill see you in Brighton JTE.

Album number three for the frankly scarily prolific JTE. "Harlem River Blue's" sees Mr. Earle moving himself to New York City in order to see a different side to life than he had experienced running around Nashville and other southern cities. So how's the music? The album does enough to live up to those that came before it although it has a decidedly different feel to his previous albums. I think that is what makes JTE such an interesting talent; in all of his albums he sounds like his own man but the sound and feel of the albums all differ somehow.

I cannot quite put my finger on what is different this time but I would argue that the sound is somehow less traditionally country. He has moved away from the old timey sound that characterised pretty much the whole of "The Good Life" and large swathes of "Midnight at the Movies". I first listened to the title track on pre-release download and was blown away; JTE tries his hand at gospel-inflected R&B and pulls of one of his best ever tracks. The rest of the album is full of bigger songs musically than seen before. It is certainly different to previous efforts but whether it is any better or not is debatable. Other than the brilliant "Harlem River Blues" my personal favourite is "Rogers Park", a song that is brilliantly driven by the piano of Skylar Wilson and shows JTE moving into Springsteen territory.

JTE is a brilliant talent and I truly believe that he has better work ahead of him. He takes risks, which is very exciting, but I would argue that both his second and thrid albums have promised more than they delivered. The title tracks that open both MATM and HRB show that Earle is a brilliant songwriter able to bring together disparate elements of American music and deliver something original. Unfortunately in HRB, as in MATM, he resorts to some middle of the road filler like "Christchurch Woman" and "Learning to Cry" rather than take us through a whole album of gospel-inflected R&B. As such I do not think that Harlem River Blues is as fully realised as it could be. In my opinion "The Good Life" is still his most fully realised, and as such his best, work to date even if he has produced brilliant songs since.

JTE has postponed his upcoming gigs and is placing himself in rehab. Let's hope he gets better soon so that he can release the classic album that we all know he is capable of producing.

Should this reviewer ever offer up any racing tips or tell you to bet your shirt on a sporting event please ignore such exhortations and treat with considerable disdain. Some time last year I reviewed Justin Townes Earle's magnificent "Midnight at the movies" and waxed lyrical at the mix of Elvis inspired rockabilly, Gram Parsons style cosmic Americana and good old country with a respectful nod to his father, Mr Steve Earle. The latter had also just recorded his warm tribute album to his mentor and friend the late Townes Van Zandt whose name has been passed to Earle junior and it appeared that the mighty forces were coming together to push the musical prowess of both father and son to the forefront and potential world domination. Alas it was not to be, although both albums were praised to the hilt and figured in 2009 best albums. If you have never heard JTE's "Halfway to Jackson" a song which equals Elvis's "Mystery Train" or the brilliant cover of the Replacements "I can hardly wait" a mighty treat is in store.

"Harlem River Blues" follows from his previous in that it shows Earle's musical palette to be very broad and knowledgeable. The albums opener is a song about death that is so upbeat that its only after a minute or so that you realise that the songs protagonist is announcing his intention to drown himself! Whatever it is infused with a mix of Sun sessions sensibility infused with a gospel slant and is a tremendous start (it is later reprised as the album closer in a short "Oh brother where art thou" type old religious chant). One More Night In Brooklyn is a gentle rolling alt country ballad while "Move over Mama" has enough Elvis/Eddie Cochran swagger to hand over the keys to Gracelands. We then hit a key highlight the railroad anthem "Working for the MTA" which harks bark to Guthrie and Hank Williams with a brilliant atmospheric vocal by Earle and lovely punctuated slide guitar. "Wanderin" sounds like an outtake from Springsteen's "Nabraska"; yes its that good, while the bluesy "Slippin' and Slidin" requires no more than a bar, too much Jack Daniels and a broken heart to create the perfect mood. The album probably slows too much on "Christchurch woman" and "Learning to cry" and while good they fairly are standard affairs.

"Ain't Waiting" and "Rodgers Park" are alternatively two of the best on the album. The former is a sassy number which recreates a Buddy Holly groove while "Rodgers Parks" is an alt country rolling piano ballad which Ryan Adams now seems to have great difficulty writing, but was common currency in his Whiskeytown days. It is evidence that JTE's songwriting is maturing on every album and remember that even on his first album "The good life" he was already producing classics like the glorious "Lone Pine Hill".

Townes Earle was last year was awarded with the best "New and Emerging Artist of the Year" at the 8th Annual Americana Music Awards held in Nashville where he shared the stage with giants like John Fogerty and Buddy Miller. "Harlem River Blues" refers to a navigable tidal strait in New York City that flows between the Hudson River and the East River, which Earle describes as "just the nastiest body of water you've ever seen in your life". The cover of the album shows him with a young lady emerging soaking wet from such a murky stream bed. Yet I am delighted to report that this album is no damp squib, indeed it's a sure footed follow up to "Midnight", drawn from an encyclopaedic knowledge of music and confirms Justin Townes Earle as one of the great emerging talents in American music. Let us hope that he can conquer the current demons which afflict him go on to even bigger and better things.