Ghosts of West Virginia

Ghosts of West Virginia
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 22, 2020 (2020-05-22)
StudioElectric Lady Studios[1]
Length29:46
LabelNew West
Steve Earle chronology
Guy
(2019)
Ghosts of West Virginia
(2020)
J.T.
(2021)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[2]
Metacritic82/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
American Songwriter[5]
Classic Rock[6]
Exclaim!8/10[7]
Rolling Stone[8]

Ghosts of West Virginia is the twentieth studio album by American country musician Steve Earle, credited to Steve Earle and the Dukes. It was released on May 22, 2020, under New West Records.[1] Most of the songs were written for the off-Broadway play Coal Country about the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in 2010. Earle collaborated on the play written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, drawing on interviews with survivors and families of the miners.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Steve Earle & The Dukes Announce Release Date For 'Ghosts of West Virginia'". American Songwriter. February 27, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Deming, Mark. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Horowitz, Hal (May 20, 2020). "Steve Earle Pays Tribute to West Virginia Coal Miners on Tough, Raw and Moving Album". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Yates, Henry (May 22, 2020). "Steve Earle's Ghosts of West Virginia: an undeniably powerful, angry work". Classic Rock. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Mullin, Kyle (May 19, 2020). "Steve Earle and the Dukes Decry Blue-Collar Tragedy on 'Ghosts of West Virginia'". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (May 21, 2020). "Steve Earle & the Dukes' 'Ghosts of West Virginia' Offers a Powerful Image of American Tragedy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2020.