Justin Townes Earle Yuma CD-EP

Originally self-released by Justin so he would have something to sell on the road, we re-issued it in 2008 so that more folks will be able to hear a young songwriter honing his craft and getting his Guthrie on. 6 songs, and it's just him, a guitar, some mandolin and harmonica.

"A strummy twang informs the gospellish “Absolute Angels Blues,” while the upbeat country-folk of “You Can’t Leave” finds Earle simultaneously cajoling and pleading with a woman in a voice that’s rich with vulnerability and suggestion. The surname 'Earle' may or may not impress you. But as the title track’s tragedy unfolds—it’s about a 23-year old who leaps off a building ('It wasn’t so much the girl/Guess it was the booze and the dope/And the way he took the weight of the world/Up upon his shoulders')—and Earle’s storytelling gifts become apparent, his middle name takes on a striking resonance, too. Bottom line: You won’t need a molecular biologist to help you spot this young man’s musical DNA." —Harp Magazine