Justin Townes Earle, “Harlem River Blues”
find it on Harlem River Blues (2010)

I was never a Steve Earle fan. His music always struck me as self-conscious as his politics, with every moment too carefully considered and dropped on you with a huge expectation that you’re supposed to respond to it in a certain way.

Not so with his son, Justin Townes Earle, who made a fantastic record a couple of years ago that is sincere and confident. The title track of the record, “Harlem River Blues” is a near-perfect slice of country/gospel that’s neither retro or modern, and whose allusions to suicide are delivered with little care as to whether you take it as deep meaning or a surface, enjoyable melody, making him more akin to him namesake Townes Van Zandt than his dad.