Justin Townes Earle was only 38 when he tragically passed away in 2020. But in his short 13 years releasing albums, he still managed an impressive output of eight albums.
His last record, 2019’s The Saint of Lost Causes, was as remarkable as any of his earlier efforts, showcasing a musician in his prime. Four years after his death, New West is putting out a collection of unreleased and rare tracks by Earle, including a slew of demo songs from that last album. As is the nature of demos, the songs are stripped down, showing off not only his lyrical prowess but his deftness at making the acoustic guitar sound much bigger than expected. Among the highlights in this collection is a stellar version of “Champagne Corolla” played live from a radio show and “All or Nothing” another previously unreleased demo. Songs like “Appalachian Nightmare” and “Over Alameda” sound seven more haunting and heartbreaking with these sparce arrangements.
But also tucked into this collection is an impressive set of covers across genres, including Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Springsteen’s “Glory Days,” Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” John Prine’s “Far From Me” and Ike & Tina Turner’s “Rocket 88.” It’s a given that Earle’s taken on fellow Americana great Prine would sound fantastic as would his take on Simon, but it’s even more intriguing to hear Earle tackle the seemingly upbeat radio staple “Glory Days”; His moodier, mellower version adds a stronger emphasis to the nostalgia in the lyrics. It comes across like a revelation, like the first time you heard Springsteen play “Born in the USA” on an acoustic guitar, without synthesizers or drums, and the meaning of the song changed drastically.
Releasing on digital platforms, on CD and vinyl, the deluxe edition includes a 52-page hardbound book featuring unpublished images by photographer Joshua Black Wilkins. Even more impactful are the liner notes written by Justin’s widow Jenn Marie Earle and stories by ALL IN co-producers Adam Bednarik and Kim Buie.
Earle obviously died far too young, but he left a legacy of music that will be inspiring musicians for the next generation or two. ALL IN is just another reason to dig back into his musical brilliance.
