STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES

So You Wannabe An Outlaw Warner Bros. Records

Steve Earle bills his new album as the philosophical heir to Guitar Town, and the DNA connecting it to that landmark 1986 record can’t be missed. Texasborn and Nashville-raised, at least musically, Earle reconnects with his roots in all the best ways.

Earle has ranged around musically for three decades without losing his ability to nail a great song. During that time he has arguably written the definitive song on the death penalty (Billy Austin), America’s economic divide (Down Here Below) and Middle East peace (Jerusalem), all without losing his bearings.

Now Earle goes back to Texas to revive the muscular style he modelled on Waylon Jennings and other legendary outlaws. The journey back is as good as anything he’s put out in a decade or more.