Justin Townes Earle

The opening lines on this latest offering from Justin Townes Earle are a naked plea to his father, Steve, to reach out to him. It's certainly a gripping way to kick off his fourth album, because there's no doubt it rings true. Since coming on the scene in 2008, the younger Earle has shown that he's inherited many of his father's musical tools and also Steve's well publicized past drug and alcohol addictions. Justin's 2011 record, Harlem River Blues, was dubbed his "rehab album," but on Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now there's a sense that he's been able to reflect more deeply on his battle with his personal demons. That fact doesn't make the album dour though. To the contrary, its jaunty live energy – it was recorded in the span of four days in a converted church in Asheville, NC – highlights Earle's soulful side. Subtle use of horns and Hammond organ perfectly complement the raw, acoustic-based arrangements, but it's when Earle digs deep into the darkness, as on closing track "Won't Be The Last Time," that all of his artistic promise shines through. While the rest of Nothing's Gonna Change sometimes falls prey to sheer navel-gazing, overall it displays some clear signs of maturity in someone who remains more determined than ever to carry on his father's legacy.