A 21st-century troubadour who spins layered story songs that deal with the sunlight and shadows of the human condition, Sammy Brue follows in the authentic outlaw songwriter lineage of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, and Justin Townes Earle. Brue's new album, The Journals, pays tribute to his mentor by writing, finishing, or re-imagining never-before-recorded songs taken directly from Earle's journals, entrusted to Sammy by Justin's widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets Brue found. Others are co-writes or songs Brue wrote based on compilations of ideas and little paragraphs Earle wrote. Sammy Brue showcases his lyrical ingenuity, his musical versatility, his innovative songwriting style, and his ringing vocal style on his new album. Like a poet, he commands attention with a vibrant opening chord and a vivid lyric; Brue pulls listeners into his story world, and they're transfixed by his sometimes playful, always perceptive readings of the human heart. Fans of Justin Towne Earle will be grateful to Brue for this lovingly crafted album and will become more familiar again with a singer and songwriter dedicated to bringing the beauty of folk to the world.