It seems like every time I hear someone talk about Justin Townes Earle, he is being introduced with the same few points.  “He’s Steve Earle’s Kid” , “You know he’s named after Townes Van Zandt”,  and  “That guy went to rehab after getting booted from his dad’s band” always preface any discussion about his music.  His latest album removes the need for such an introduction.  Instead, meet Justin Townes Earle – a talented young singer/songwriter with a classic sound and a really good new album called Harlem River Blues.

Harlem River Blues may be short on running time at just over 30 minutes, but Earle’s latest effort is certainly long on range.  The album practically covers the entire canon of  classic American music; flashing shades of Plantation Blues, Muscle Shoals Soul, Dustbowl Folk, and Sun Records era Rock and Roll.   Fortunately, although many of these songs may have their roots in the past, they are alive and well in 2010.  Earle tells contemporary stories in a familiar way, managing to sound authentic and modern while keeping one foot firmly planted in the past.

Justin’s command for songwriting and range as a vocalist shine as this album makes its way from the swampy gospel of the title track opener to the albums closer, ” Rodgers Park” – a dead ringer for classic Whiskeytown.  Despite being pretty much all over the place, the album works surprisingly well as a whole.  Part of that can probably be attributed to the extremely solid performance from Justin and his band which includes former Drive By Trucker Jason Isbell on lead guitar,  Old Crow Medicine Show harp man Ketch Secor, and Calexico’s Paul Niehaus on the pedal steel.  While the album’s consistency and balance may be it’s strongest points, it is not without it’s fair share of highlights.  “Move Over Mama” and “Ain’t Waitin’” are a good time waiting to happen, and “Christchurch Woman” is a mainstream country song done up just right.

Harlem River Blues is a collection of well crafted songs steeped in American music tradition, shined up with Justin’s own unique style.  You can call it alt-country, Americana, or whatever you want to call it, but the latest album from Justin Townes Earle is a rock solid collection of good tunes.