Album Review: All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) by Justin Townes Earle

Sure, the gone-too-soon-alt-country star was praised for giving a twangy twist to the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" on his 2009 breakout Midnight at the Movies. And there's of course his Grammy winning, Americana legend father Steve Earle, who made a comeback around the same time with an album of covers penned by his Outlaw Country cohort Townes Van Zandt, who Steve named his son after. But can Townes Earle's take really hold a candle to Stevie Nicks's searing, soaring songbird coos on "Dreams"? Turns out, it doesn't really need to -- with more subdued singing that sounds less like heartbreak and more like resignation to the inevitable, Earle's version forgoes the original's pristine production and intricate riffs for a downtrodden acoustic guitar waltz that's country through and through.

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When Justin Townes Earle died in August 2020 at the age of 38, the news felt at once shocking and somehow inevitable. It was no secret that Earle struggled with alcohol and drug dependence in his lifetime, but as significantly, there was a gloomy undertow to his music, even at its most high spirited, that suggested a shadow followed him most of his life, and that he knew he wasn't destined to die peacefully at a ripe old age. (The haunted eyes that stared out from the covers of his albums did nothing to suggest otherwise.

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When Justin Townes Earle released The Saint of Lost Causes in 2019 (his second for New West Records), he was in as fine a songwriting form as ever. Less than a year later, Earle died at 38 years old. New West Records have assembled a collection of rare and previously unavailable material from his time at the label, giving fans new music and insight into Earle’s art on All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years).

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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..

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