Justin Townes Earle – Absent Fathers

Justin Townes Earle was born in Nashville, Tennessee, raised on a strict diet of country music. While the genre may not appeal to everyone outside the region, for Earle it planted a seed of talent that has swiftly developed as the years have drifted on. Absent Fathers is the very result of this aptitude, and will be popular with anyone with an open mind.

As you would expect, Absent Fathers consists of an assortment of tracks with a grumbling temperament – but isn’t that what country music is all about? The album tells a whole host of stories about uncertain relationships, highly dysfunctional families and complex life lessons. Earle is an instinctive storyteller: these tales draw the listener in like a moth to a flame, regardless of whether they’re a devotee of country music or not.

Songs that will creep under one’s skin are in large supply on Absent Fathers. Day and Night is a stunning, slow-moving track that highlights the simple beauty of clarity. Though musically it may be considered a rather effortless tune, lyrically it will blow the listener away with its sharp yet elusive refinement. Round the Bend is another album treasure with an addictive express pace, that demonstrates country music at its finest.

The only drawback for the album is a lack of creativity that could have been poured into certain aspects of the music. Evidently a gargantuan amount of time has been spent penning the lyrics, but regrettably the same can not be said for the instrumental counterparts. There is nothing groundbreaking that can be said about them, they’re simply an emblematic example of the genre, although to some that’s a staple country convention.

The majority of Nashville-born artists are innately programmed to be brilliant, and Justin Townes Earle is certainly no exception to this rule. Absent Fathers is a showcase for intelligent song-writing and pure talent. It is certainly worthy of a listen.

 

                                                                                            Keira Trethowan

Absent Fathers was released on 9^th January 2015, for further information or to order the album visit here.

Watch the video for Night and Day here: