Early James released his first album just as the world quit spinning in March 2020. He recorded this album a life began its slow limp to "normal", whatever that might mean today. Somehow he has managed to craft a second album that improves upon his first. That's difficult in regular times, as a first album contains all the songs an artist has been perfecting over the years. Songs on a second album don't have the benefit of all that trial and error. James's inability to get a live response to his first set just compounded the level of difficulty.

Early James Strange Time to Be Alive (Easy Eye Sound)

Which is why this album is so astonishing. Working with Dan Auerbach once again (not a bad connection to have), James has drilled down on his not-quite-old-timey-but-definitely-not-modern sound and found a solid rhythmic core. Not surprisingly, the base rhythms of this album center on the heavy blues, which serves as a fine floor for the rest of his disparate influences.

There are moments where this veers a bit too much into "isn't that the Black Keys?" territory, but by and large Auerbach keeps the sound focused on James and not on the producer. Anyone who approaches americana from the blues side is going to run into that complaint now and again, and given the close connections it's damn near inevitable. Luckily, James has his own eclectic feel, and that is what dominates.

From Tin Pan Alley to the delta to Laurel Canyon and beyond, Early James provides a fine survey of the concept of American music. Covid clearly has not dimmed his ardor or his ear. Lovely stuff.

Jon Worley