Four months after the release of his fifth album Single Mothers (September 2014), Justin Townes Earle is already releasing the follow-up Absent Fathers. As the title (and the artwork) indicates, that is of course no coincidence. Both albums were recorded simultaneously, originally with a double album in mind. In the end, Earle chose to release Single Mothers and Absent Fathers separately. Thematically,
… Single Mothers and Absent Fathers connect with each other: on both albums Earle incorporates experiences from his not always easy life. That 'absent father' from the album title is of course Steve Earle, who more often than not could be a father to Justin Townes due to his drug problems. But even without knowledge of Justin Townes Earle's personal history, this is an extremely enjoyable americana record, and in that Absent Fathers is no different from Single Mothers. (IV)more
