Justin Townes Earle Pens Career Strongest Songs With ‘Kids in the Street’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

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As the son of once notorious bad boy Steve Earle, it was only natural that the younger Justin Townes Earle would follow in dad’s sometimes shaky footsteps. Sadly, his determination once included his dad’s vices as well. That said, he’s due credit for his ability to shake those bad habits and get on with the task of making music, which, one has to say, equates nicely with the elder Earle’s work.

Consequently, Kids in the Street serves as a shining example of Justin’s embrace of maturity and his credibility as a singular songwriter who eschews any need to piggyback on his father’s coattails. From the horn-fuelled blues blast of “Champagne Corolla” and “15-25” to the assuring deliverance of “Maybe a Moment,” the caressing country sway of “What’s She’s Crying For,” the ginger feel of “Faded Valentine, and the tender sentiments of the title track, he proves his mettle when it comes to crafting classics… or at least songs that approximate that standing. Any hint of antagonism and insurrection has been banished, and in its place, Earle stakes his reverence for the roots. Simply note his reference to an ages-old Stagger Lee on “Same Old Stagolee.”

Indeed, at age 35, happily married and experiencing the joys of fatherhood for the first time, Earle has clearly put his ill-spent youth and rowdy reputation behind him. Kids in the Street isn’t only the best album of his career, but a set of songs that elevates him overall. Granted, it may be a bit orthodox and somewhat sanitized, at least in comparison to Hank III, Bare Jr. and the other sons of famous fathers who find a need to disavow their dads and their origins. Nevertheless, that’s nothing that ought to be held against him. It’s fair to say that in years to come, this album will be seen as having set a standard. For now anyway, these Kids are indeed alright