In 2010, the Upper Big Branch mine disaster took place in Raleigh County, West Virginia. 29 miners lost their lives during an explosion in a coal mine. The play Coal Country tells about this, supplemented with music by the American singer-songwriter Steve Earle. The Ghosts Of West Virginia album containing these songs is narrative and enlightening in its own right to give a picture of the disaster.
In her own and inimitable way, Earle sings about the miners, the harsh conditions under which they had to work, their deaths and the bewildered relatives. With his raw voice and caustic recitation, Earle dives deep into the matter, in a dozen bluesy and unadorned folk rock songs. Earle's production is feverishly high (his previous album is just a year old) and you will never catch him for lack of urgency. (MR)more
