[rating=4.50]
It’s no secret that Steve Earle has always loved Townes Van Zandt as a writer and musician—it just took him until now to record a whole album’s worth of his songs. There are 15 gems here, making Townes well worth the wait, and then some. The opener, “Poncho and Lefty,” is probably Van Zandt’s most beloved song, and hearing Earle sing it feels as natural as listening to him belt out some of his best songs like “Goodbye” or “Someday.” It’s just that good.
“Colorado Girl” is quite a treat, as is the electricity and overall funk of “Lungs,” which was produced and mixed by the Dust Brothers’ John King. And it’s no surprise that Earle lets Van Zandt’s words be the focus on this album—just listen to him deliver “Marie” and you’ll swear that songwriting doesn’t get any better. Of course, he could have recorded many more—“If I Needed You” is missing—but that’s nitpicking, especially when the closing track, “To Live Is To Fly,” ends the album perfectly, low and high, just as Van Zandt would have wanted. Kudos to Mr. Earle for showing us what true authenticity really sounds like.
