Steve Earle: Washington Square Serenade

By: Phil Santala

Steve Earle might be a relative newcomer to New York City but listening to his latest album, Washington Square Serenade (New West) you would never be able to tell that. The songs about the city that never sleeps drip and ooze with a feeling of familiarity that makes you think Earle’s lived there for years. At the very least, he must be a kindred soul.

Earle’s new work is a far cry from Copperhead Road without actually being that far of a step. The album’s style is a mix of Tom Waits meets Bruce Springsteen served over a bed of bluegrass. “Down Here Below” is a nice slow balled that moves along at a ruminating pace, while “City Of Immigrants” almost seems like a song lifted from Paul Simon. Closing out the last half of the album are three heavy songs – “Jericho Road”, “Oxycontin Blues” and “Steve’s Hammer” – that feature some of Earle’s classic Americana angst and personal protest. “Oxycontin Blues” makes generous use of the banjo to establish a very disjointed and lumbering pace, which fits the song’s subject matter well. “Steve’s Hammer” is an uptempo protest song written by a man that loves his fellow countrymen but remains very skeptical of the politicians who run things.

Washington Square Serenade is a rare and unexpected gem. I gave it a shot because I liked Copperhead Road. Well, that album was released 20 years and 10 albums ago. It appears that not only do I still like Steve Erale, but I also might have some catching up to do. Maybe you do, too, and Washington Square Serenade is a great place to start.

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