I became a big James McMurtry fan a few years ago after being turned onto his “Choctaw Bingo,” a stunning “song about the North Texas-Southern Oklahoma Crystal Methamphetamine Industry” which chugs along a biting rootsy rock guitar riff and features some of the most clever (and dirty) lyrics you’re likely to hear. It was only much later that I realized James was the son of Larry McMurtry, the author of (among other things) Lonesome Dove. Which makes you wonder if the McMurtry family reunions might possibly be close to as interesting as the one at Uncle Slayton’s.
This is all currently relevant thanks to his new record Just Us Kids, which is probably his best. It features more than a few of his (always good) honky-tonk blues-rock inspired songs, but as has been the case usual) the gritty frontman finds his muse most perfectly on the more gentle tracks. Among these, one standout is “Ruby and Carlos” which hits you in the gut, like a great Townes Van Zandt song. There’s a line in the song that references a “waking dream” – which to my mind is as perfect a characterization of how it feels to hear this track. You fall into the speakers and inhabit these chipped and fading souls, wondering about lost loves and bitter hearts.
Another highlight is “Ruins of the Realm” which is probably his most beautiful song to date. It’s the sort of song that comes to you as a series of vignettes. You see a man driving in a broken pickup truck, you see a man dancing in the twilight, you see the entire South. It’s a triumphant sadness, a memory of faded glory that translates into a crooked smile.
Ruins of the Realm – James McMurtry
Ruby and Carlos – James McMurtry