That Nashville SoundBites- Steve Earle- I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

That Nashville Sound receives many different CD releases throughout the year from indie, small majors, bluegrass and artists just off the country mainstream radar- or smaller projects like EPs- that we’re doing short mini CD reviews on. We call them That Nashville SoundBites- it’s a feature that will allow us to give some props to some albums and artists that deserve a spotlight on their work.

The Review:
Producer T Bone Burnett is on dials for alt-country rocker Steve Earle's latest and gives this album a raw sound that occassionaly feels a bit unifinished. But the songwriting is stellar, especially when Earle uses his powerful pen and voice to champion a cause. “The City,” which previously appeared in the HBO show Treme, revisits the city of New Orleans and the aftermath of Katrina and "The Gulf of Mexico" talks about the oil disaster there. Both songs pack a powerful perspective without being too overtly political. The other outstanding track is "Heaven or Hell," a beautiful duet with Earle's wife, Allison Moorer. Interestingly enough, the album is being released just before a book of the same title. I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive is also the name of Earle’s debut novel, which is due May 12 via Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It tells the story of Doc Ebersole, a doctor who is haunted by the ghost of his former patient Hank Williams.

Sounds Like:
John Mellencamp's latest

Stand Out Tracks
The Gulf of Mexico
Heaven or Hell
This City

The Verdict:
Three stars out of five