In the wake of last year’s Midnight at the Movies, Nashville born and raised singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle left the south for NYC’s East Village, following in the footsteps of his hero Woody Guthrie (though more like North Carolina’s Ryan Adams, I’d say). As with most troubadours, lyrics invoking new scenery inevitably bubbled to the surface for Earle. To wit: 2 songs (“One More Night In Brooklyn,” “Working for the MTA”) off his forthcoming follow-up, Harlem River Blues, have titles with Big Apple-related references—in addition to the title track of course. Despite slices of urban imagery, however, Earle’s sonic influences are still decidedly rooted in southern gospel and country music for this self-produced effort.
Stream “Harlem River Blues” or take Earle’s blues on the road with a free MP3 below: