Justin Townes Earle “Single Mothers”

Justin Townes Earle “Single Mothers”

By Courtney Sudbrink, Editor

With a new label and a new wife, Justin Townes Earle has spent the past year in transition.  After a public feud over artistic integrity with would-be label Communion Records (started by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons), Earle has found a new home at Vagrant Records for his fifth full-length effort. The release of Single Mothers reveals the reasons for Communion Records’ hesitation in putting it out – Justin Townes Earle will never be a good choice to invest in for a label expecting an artist who sets out to write hits and caters to the demands of popular music. In the end, what Earle offers with Single Mothers is yet another collection of solid, heartfelt songs. And with his previous two albums along with his latest release, fans are further learning that Justin Townes Earle is far from predictable.  His last album, Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me, came as a surprise to some, with horn arrangements and a southern soul sound, it was an unlikely follow up to its twang-tinged and at some points rollicking predecessor, Harlem River Blues, as well as a far off incarnation from his debut traditional country LP, The Good Life. But where Earle proves consistent, no matter what genre he plays, is in his authenticity and ability to write and sing songs that will move anyone who hears them, no matter their musical taste.

Single Mothers, a slow-rolling country-folk album lined with pedal steel and acoustic blues influence, recalls Earle’s namesake, Townes Van Zandt.  In the same regard, the album isn’t a pick-me-up listen, rather it’s the sort of album that like those by Van Zandt, will act as a welcome companion in times of pain and sorrow.

Though the opening track, “Worried Bout The Weather” and the catchy “Wanna Be a Stranger” are a continuation on the soulful sound of his last album, for the most part, other than often singing behind the melody, Earle stops there. The title track, “Single Mothers” is a laid-back song with a solid bass groove that drives a familiar sentiment.  As the son of Steve Earle, penning songs about his legendary father’s absence during his younger years and the feelings he still holds towards him (“Mama’s Eyes,”“Am I That Lonely Tonight?”) has been a recurring theme.  Still, Earle proves that telling the truth and writing about his sadder observations is what suits him best, even though in the past year, he’s seemed to be much more at ease personally than fans have previously seen.

“White Gardenias” is Earle’s fitting tribute to Billie Holiday, an artist he shares parallels with in terms of his ability as a performer and his history with addiction.   Earle delivers the instrumentally stark song with a vocal vulnerability that makes it the album’s most sentimental track, reminding listeners just how much a fan can connect with an artist on a personal level.  Like Holiday, Earle has that power, no matter what song he sings or in what style he plays it.

With the exception of the bluesy “My Baby Drives” and the album’s first single, the catchy “Time Shows Fools,” songs like “Picture in a Drawer” and “It’s Cold in This House” are driven only by Earle’s vocals and haunting pedal steel while  “Today and a Lonely Night” recalls the energy of early Springsteen.  Closing out the album, Earle makes the unlikely choice in saving the most energetic song for last with “Burning Pictures,” proving yet again that when it comes to songs about love, coming from Earle, the theme will never be conventional as he sings “ How many times have you fallen in love? Has your heart ever been truly full or just full enough? Aren’t you tired of telling yourself one day I’ll forget here? Aren’t you tired of starting fires and burning pictures?”

Though it may not have the immediate impact on listeners that Harlem River Blues did, Single Mothers is one of the better examples of songwriting to have come out this year and will remind fans why Earle is truly the greatest artist of his generation. With a few exceptions, no one today can write or perform in the way that comes so naturally to him.

Visit justintownesearle.com on fb, and buy Single Mothers.