Customer Reviews

Midnight at the Movies

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great follow up to The Good Life. I saw JTE at the Birchmere in VA a couple days after this album came out and was able to get it on vinyl. He put on a great show. There were very few people at the show, but then not many people know about him yet. I had a chance to talk to him after the show and he's a very down to earth guy that seems to really enjoy what he's doing. He does sound a lot like his dad and writes a lot like his name sake Townes Van Zant, but he can certainly stand on his own. Even without his famous connections, I'd still be a big fan. To me this is just good music, nothing pretentious at all. In fact JTE reminds me of a modern Hank Williams. I can't wait for the next album and the next live performance.

Justin Townes Earle has, once again, proven he's one of the few with substance. I've only listened to the album a couple of times, but I just saw him last night at The Mercury Lounge (the day the CD came out!), and it's clear that it's going to be hard to pick a favorite off of this album.

I can't recommend this enough if you like traditional country or folk music. Just fantastic.

UPDATE: I've been listening to this album since it came out -- every day, almost all day long. So, I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars. I love this album. This album has no song you skip over to get to the better one(s). Every track is just great. Hot damn, I can't wait for more from this artist. Jaysus I'm excited about music again!

Having loved JTE's first album, "The Good Life," I got this one right away. This is another great album from this up and coming artist. He has a unique voice which walks the tight-rope between country and singer-songwriter. This album probably leans a little more towards the latter, but there are still several tracks that are flat out old-time country honk. The music has a very organic feel to it, which is refreshing. The instrumentation and production is very simplistic and gives the album a timeless quality that makes it sound equally as likely to be from 2009 or 1969. I agree with the previous reviewer - definitely see JTE in concert, he is amazing!

From the title track, Earle establishes a world of malaise and monotony, where people struggle for momentary connections they'll never keep. Continuing through songs like "What I Mean to You," "Black Eyed Suzy," and "Someday I'll Be Forgiven For This," his worldview stings of lost hope and alienation. He presents a countrified Goth vision of a world where hope is a cruel illusion and the future is a vapor.

But Earle is more than countrified. His ragtime rhythms, Dock Boggs-style instrumentation, and loping vocal style recall earlier forms of folk music. Tracks like "They Killed John Henry" and "Here We Go Again" explicitly draw sound out of the past to make something at once new and archaic. Even his cover of Paul Westerberg's "Can't Hardly Wait" sounds like an old 78 from the back of your grandma's trunk.

Earle's shrewd writing and musical clarity spotlight how poor mainstream country has become. He takes risks with sounds that rhinestone cowboys treat frivolously, explores emotions that would make Clear Channel stars shrivel, and doesn't blush to bare his weaknesses to the world. If I could hear sounds like this on my local radio, perhaps I'd listen more. Instead, I buy CDs or downloads to hear music worth my time.

Justin Townes Earle is the 28-year old son of Steve Earle, whose Midnight at the Movies is Earle's 3rd release in three years. The album offers a style that blends bluegrass-influenced acoustic tunes, honky tonk, contemporary folk, country-western shuffles, etc. At times you feel like you are in cowboy country listening to rambling campfire songs - a hint of Ryan Adams one minute, a smattering of Leon Redbone next. And anyone who covers The Replacements is good with me. My guess is JTE will have a long and interesting future.

GENRES: Contemporary Folk, Mellow Rock, Americana.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Ryan Adams, Robert Earl Keen, The Avett Brothers.

MUST HEAR TRACKS: "My Mother's Eyes," "Can't Hardly Wait," "Midnight at the Movies," "Some Day I'll Be Forgiven For This."

I think this is one of the best CDs of 2009. There's not a bad cut on it ... and only one cover. This kid has a lot going for him ... yes, he's Steve's son, but I think he's got a better set of pipes and a more distinct musical style than his father, and that's saying a lot because I'm a long-time Steve Earle fan.

The sky's the limit for JT ... this CD will be in rotation on my computers and iPod for a long time to come.

Justin Townes Earle's star shines brighter than most "new" artists around
these days. I highly suggest you not only buy this CD but tell all your music-loving friends about it. He covers all the bases with extraordinary ease and vocal/songwriting/& guitar playing expertise.His voice is one of a kind , his ramblin' style addicting , his slow sombre tunes heartfelt ,
and his use of "Old Crow Medicine Show" as a backing group on one of the
tracks is a whacked out dream ! The song "Midnight At The Movies" is a
piece of work & really takes you there , as is the faster "Black Eyed Suzy" which is amazing(as are all the songs) If you like Americana , roots
acoustic , alt-country , blues , rock all rolled up into one style this CD is for you ! Oh yeah he is the great Steve Earle's son , but even he
was'nt he's a true original artist most worthy of his recent mass appeal.

This record is a great synthesis of so many things. A little old, a little twang, a little honky tonk, a little folk, a little blues. Just an excellent balance of styles matched with some truly stellar songwriting. The production is also a treat, there are some great sounds recorded here. Highly recommended.

Justin Earle has slightly refined his edgy sound from the Good Life and given us one of the best albums of 2009 in the process. I can honestly say that Midnight at the Movies is just short of a masterpiece. You could try put it into a certain category of music. You could try and compare Earle to hundreds of different artists. But neither of those would be giving credit where credit is do.

This is the sort of album that you can listen to over and over. You'll find yourself enjoying the songs more each time you listen to them. The thing I love most about this album is that Earle isn't afraid to cut out the fluff and get straight to the point. That goes for when he's rocking out with the cover Can't Hardly Wait or when he's taking a more emotional look at things with Someday I'll Be Forgiven For This. The brutal honesty of his vivid songwriting is best showcased in my two personal favorites Mama's eyes and Midnight at the Movies.

If it sounds like I'm crazy about this album...well...it's because I am. Midnight at the Movies is an album that is both refreshing and original. Earle's music isn't something that you stumble across everyday. It's a rare gem that your lucky to find and will want to cherish for a long time to come. Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed. Justin Townes Earle is going to be a name you'll be hearing a lot of in the future.

Sure, I'll admit that I bought this disc without reading the reviews or any other knowledge of Justin other than his is Steve Earle's son...and he was named after Townes. I mean, this is the kid Steve wrote the song "Little Rock N Roller" for, Right? So my expectations were not great, I figured he would try and be like his father (Some REALLY big boots to fill) and make some money off the family name. From the opening song, all of that went out the window. Justin Townes Earle is his own man, his own singer/songwriter/musician...and a damn good one at that. If I were to hear this collection of songs without knowing who it was, I would not guess there is any relation between the man who wrote these songs and Steve Earle. I have ordered everything that Justin has recorded. It is too early to tell how he will compare to his old man, but this kid has some nice boots of his own...I can't wait to see how big they get.