It’s been nearly 15 years since Justin Townes Earle first met Sammy Brue outside an Ogden, Utah club that the pre-teen guitarist and Earle admirer wasn’t old enough to enter. Earle became a mentor to Brue that night, changing the course of Brue’s life. Earle eventually asked Brue to be on the cover of his Single Mothers album, a door-opening opportunity that Brue says helped him land his first record deal. Now, several years after Earle’s passing, Brue has released a loving tribute to his mentor with The Journals, a collection of songs he created from unfinished work and notes Earle left behind.
Sammy Brue’s work is grounded in folk music — from an early age, he was soaking up the Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly that his dad loved — but going all the way back to his debut album (2017’s I Am Nice), Brue has been unafraid to shake things up a bit. Anyone who has explored Brue’s discography has heard straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, country, soul-tinged ballads, and even some solid punk rock. In The Journals, though, Brue sticks to his voice and his acoustic, and that’s all he needs. Keeping things simple on The Journals is the perfect way for Brue to celebrate Justin Townes Earle.
Brue’s journey toward The Journals began when he wrote “For Justin”, a heartfelt tribute to Earle, who died in 2020. “I must admit I’d like a hug from you / For pointing me a little closer to the truth,” Brue sings in a way that is both disarming and heartbreaking. Brue also notes, “But I wish I could ask you why / You’re in pain inside.” Brue presented the song to Earle’s wife, Jenn, who loved it and subsequently gave Brue those notebooks and other documents that he used to create The Journals.
“For Justin” is the fifth of ten tracks and is likewise the album’s emotional centerpiece. It is also the only solely Brue composition to be found. Five of the songs are Earle tunes that Brue found almost fully formed, while the other four are songs that Brue crafted from Earle’s notes, in some cases transforming prose paragraphs into lyrics.
The record opens on a jaunty note, at least musically, with “Lonely Mornings”. As with several songs on The Journals, there is a healthy artistic tension between toe-tapping tunes and more cautious or darker lyrics. The album ends on a similar note with “Lord, I’m Ready Now”, in which an engaging melody supports the musings of narrator who is musing over the events of his life and concluding, “Lord, come take me now, take me now.”
The Journals clocks in at less than 30 minutes long, and no major statements can be found among the songs’ lyrics. Not turning The Journals into an epic was precisely the right decision: this album is meant to be intimate. Each of these ten songs is a small gem that shines a light on Justin Townes Earle’s creative legacy and Sammy Brue’s ongoing journey as an artist. Most importantly, The Journals is a testament to the lovely friendship of Justin Townes Earle and Sammy Brue, initiated and fostered by the music they both loved.