Just Us Kids
Heralded for his willingness to write anthemic protest music during a time when one’s patriotism is measured by his willingness to wear a flag lapel pin, James McMurtry carries the banner for the people that seemingly have lost their will to revolt: the middle class. It’s clear he identifies most with the blue collar values of yesteryear. From the aging pickup he drives to his fondness for fishing, he’s an everyman with common sense and a healthy distrust for politicians. His songs are about the odd fellows who bend their elbows in taverns rather than microbrews, drink Maxwell House instead of Starbucks and who joined the armed forces to serve an ideal that didn’t include political gain.
Just Us Kids is the tenth release from the oft-ballyhooed son of one of America’s literary legends. Like his father Larry, James describes the essence of people living life in the world rather than on top of it. From a story of a May-December love that shows shades of Ruth Popper’s story to the wry “Cheney’s Toy” and “God Bless America (pat mAcdonald must die),” the disc revels in stories from the ragged edges of life and never shies from the tough situations the average Joe faces. From the travails of struggling relationships to America’s burgeoning drug problem, Just Us Kids addresses the reality we try best to ignore including McMurtry’s favorite target: the Bush Administration.
While today’s mainstream music echoes the glossy world that shopping malls ply about this country and Hollywood produces with unparalleled hubris, McMurtry stands amidst a small, but growing crowd of brave voices willing to trumpet the cause of middle America.
Just Us Kids rallies the troops just in time for tax season. It’s available on April 15th from Lightning Rod Records.
BONUS:
Cheney’s Toy