The Saint of Lost Causes

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

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.

Reception

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Saint of Lost Causes received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 from six critic scores.[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

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

  1. ^ "The Saint of Lost Causes by Justin Townes Earle Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  2. ^ Heller, Jason (May 16, 2019). "Justin Townes Earle's The Saint of Lost Causes Looks Through the Eyes of America". KQED, NPR. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Deming, Mark. "The Saint of Lost Causes – Justin Townes Earle". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (May 24, 2019). "Justin Townes Earle Stays True to His Roots on The Saint of Lost Causes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  5. ^ Cudmore, Libby (May 28, 2019). "Justin Townes Earle: The Saint of Lost Causes Review". Paste. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  6. ^ Ingalls, Chris (May 28, 2019). "Justin Townes Earle Chronicles the Unrequited American Dream on The Saint of Lost Causes". PopMatters. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  8. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  9. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Justin Townes Earle Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  11. ^ "Justin Townes Earle Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Justin Townes Earle Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "Justin Townes Earle Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.