CD Odyssey Disc 1390: Justin Townes Earle

I’m just back from the house of a friend who is parting with his CD collection. I scored a number of great albums that you’ll be reading about soon enough.

My last randomly determined review was a Steve Earle album, and this next one is by his son, Justin Townes Earle. Is it just a coincidence, or the universe winking at me? Does it matter?

Disc 1390 is…. Kids in the Street

Artist: Justin Townes Earle

Year of Release: 2017

What’s up with the Cover? It’s a Giant Head Cover! JT’s cap says that he works down on the docks, but his glasses say he works in a coffee shop.  Lest you think I’m mocking him, I have rocked the same hat/glasses combo, albeit with a nicer shirt.

How I Came To Know It: I was already a fan, so just bought this album when it came out.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Justin Townes Earle albums. One of them has to come in last and it is “Kids in the Street”. Since I’ve now reviewed all five, here’s a recap:

1. Single Mothers: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 893)
2. Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way Feel About Me Now: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 906)
3. Midnight at the Movies: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 802)
4. Absent Fathers:  3 stars (reviewed at Disc 1033)
5. Kids in the Street: 3 stars (reviewed right here)

Ratings: 3 stars

It took a while for me to figure out what I didn’t like about “Kids in the Street”, and along that path of discovery I found a few things I did. In fact, I started liking it more and more, like I was developing an audio version of Stockholm Syndrome. I better write the review while I still have mean and entertaining things to say.

Despite this growing sense of bonhomie, there was still an undercurrent of dislike that clung to the record. What was it? Was it Justin Townes Earle’s voice? Partly, yes. I can’t tell if he’s had too many voice lessons or not enough, but there is a kind of over-shaping of the vowels that sometimes goes on in the back of his mouth. At its worst it becomes a caterwaul, like that modulating yowl your cat will throw at you when he’s not in distress, but wants your attention nonetheless. The tunes and lyrics are solid, and I just wanted Earle to sing them straight, and the songs where he did tend to be my favourites.

Maybe it was all those bluesy flourishes putting me off. Again, partly. I’m not a big fan of barroom blues, but Earle is heavily influenced by it. Despite this, after a few listens it faded pleasantly into the background the same way a good bar band will when you’re enjoying a few beers with your friends at a half-empty pub.

Then it hit me as I was listening for about the fourth time. It was…the jazz. There isn’t a lot of it, but it wafts in from time to time, like the fish that does in the dinner guests in Monty Python’s Meaning of Life. When it appears, it is one too many influences on an album that’s already being pulled in a lot of musical directions.

However, this record has some solid moments. The opening track, “Champagne Corolla” is one of them. A whimsical fun track about seeing a pretty woman drive by in a Corolla. Not exactly the world’s sexiest car, but Earle is well aware of lack of glamour in his choice of car imagery. As he points out:

“I don't care what no man say
She can run all week on just one tank
Goes to show you
Maybe baby got a head on her shoulders
And she sure looks sweet driving by in that champagne Corolla”

On “Short Hair Woman” Earle also sings about his preference for exactly that, I think, because, once again, he sees it as practical. It’s a cute song despite violating my firmly held principle that how a woman chooses to style her hair is nobody’s business except her own.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum is the wistful title track. Accompanied by a stripped-down guitar picking pattern, Earle looks back on an imperfect life, not missing it so much as mourning how things change over time.

In the end, the combination of solid songs like “Kids in the Street” and a dose of Stockholm Syndrome were enough to rescue this record from the giveaway pile.

Best tracks: Champagne Corolla, Maybe a Moment, Kids in the Street, Same Old Staggolee