The Saint of Lost Causes

The Saint of Lost Causes is the eighth and final studio album released by American singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, and the last released before his death in 2020. It was released by New West Records on May 24, 2019.

The Saint of Lost Causes
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 24, 2019 (2019-05-24)
StudioSound Emporium Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
GenreAmericana
Length49:32
LanguageEnglish
LabelNew West
Producer
Justin Townes Earle chronology
Kids in the Street
(2017)
The Saint of Lost Causes
(2019)

Reception

The Saint of Lost Causes was met with positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. This release received a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on six reviews.[1] Jason Heller of NPR's First Listen praised the album for its stark take on contemporary American society as well as its ambiguity.[2] At AllMusic, Mark Deming also emphasized the lyrics and their perspective, summing up that this release, "coalesce[s] into a larger story of malaise that's powerful without turning histrionic, and this is powerful music that's both timely and timeless".[3] In Rolling Stone, Jonathan Bernstein gave the album 3.5 out of five stars, calling this, "a refreshing reminder of what the songwriter has always done best", particularly for Earle's lyrics on familial relations.[4] Libby Cudmore's review in Paste emphasized the environmentalist and spiritual themes in the lyrics, giving the album 8.2 out of 10.[5] Chris Ingalls of PopMatters sees the work as a critique of the American dream and gave it eight out of 10 stars.[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Justin Townes Earle

  1. "The Saint of Lost Causes" – 4:51
  2. "Ain’t Got No Money" – 3:05
  3. "Mornings in Memphis" – 4:32
  4. "Don’t Drink the Water" – 4:41
  5. "Frightened by the Sound" – 3:45
  6. "Flint City Shake It" – 3:44
  7. "Over Alameda" – 4:09
  8. "Pacific Northwestern Blues" – 3:37
  9. "Appalachian Nightmare" – 5:37
  10. "Say Baby" – 4:30
  11. "Ahi esta mi nina" – 4:06
  12. "Talking to Myself" – 2:55

Personnel

  • Justin Townes Earle – vocals, acoustic guitar, production
  • Adam Ayan mastering at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine, United States
  • Adam Bednarik – electric upright bass, bass guitar, engineering, and production
  • Tchad Blake mixing at Full Mongrel Studios, Wales, United Kingdom
  • Fetzer Design – design
  • Joe V. McMahan – acoustic, baritone, electric, and slide guitar, celesta
  • Paul Niehaus – acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar
  • Jon Radford – drums, percussion
  • Zaq Reynolds engineering
  • Joshua Black Wilkins – photography
  • Cory Younts – harmonica, piano, backing vocals

Charts

Sales chart performance for The Saint of Lost Causes
Chart (2019) Peak
Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] 95
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[8] 6
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[9] 41
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[10] 23
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[11] 9
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[12] 36
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[13] 6

See also

References

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