All in: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years)

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 wasnt 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.) Only those who knew him closely can say if that was his reality or just a part of his public persona, yet optimism was in short supply on his last two albums, 2017s Kids in the Street and 2019s The Saint of Lost Causes. Both of those albums were released by New West Records, and 2024s All In: Unreleased and Rarities (The New West Years) collects unheard and hard-to-find material from his tenure with the label. The album opens with six songs Earle demoed for The Saint of Lost Causes that he opted not to take into the studio. These are rough recordings with just Earle and his guitar, and they strongly emphasize the blues roots of his music, especially on "Troubled Eyes" and "Already Gone." If these tracks lack polish, the bones of these tunes are as strong as anything that made the final cut, and despite the casual audio quality, these unadorned takes capture his strength as a singer remarkably well, catching the unforced emotions and subtle textures of his vocals. The set also includes the similarly spare demos for "If I Was the Devil" from Kids in the Street, and three more from The Saint of Lost Causes, including the title track, "Appalachian Nightmare," and "Over Alameda." In the case of the latter two, the rough recordings have an urgency and lean energy that makes them more satisfying than the studio takes (which are included for the sake of comparison). Rounding out the set are a pair of solo performances recorded for his father Steve Earles satellite radio show ("Champagne Corolla" is the closest thing to a genuinely fun performance here) and a handful of covers, among them a very apt interpretation of Fleetwood Macs "Dreams" and the most mournful version of Bruce Springsteens "Glory Days" youre ever likely to hear. This does not add up to a Great Lost Justin Townes Earle Album. Instead, these bits and pieces he left behind testify to his gifts as a writer and performer, and remind us of just how much was lost when Earle died, as well as demonstrating that someone should have convinced him to do a solo acoustic album. The set comes with a beautifully produced book of essays and photos that add to the depth of this tribute to a truly gifted man. ~ Mark Deming