Patronage. Among some Roman Catholics, Saint Jude is venerated as the “patron saint of lost causes”. This practice stems from the belief that few Christians invoked him for misplaced fear of praying to Christ’s betrayer, Judas Iscariot, because of their similar names.
The Saint of Lost Causes is the eighth and final studio album released by American singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, and the last released before his While Earle achieved only modest commercial success in the Americana, folk, or alt-country musical space, he was widely regarded as a first-rate songwriter and musical stylist, drawing from a broad range of popular American musical traditions, and developing a unique signature guitar technique, recognizable across his eight full-length albums.
he Saint of Lost Causes was met with positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. This release received a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on six reviews.[1] Jason Heller of NPR’s First Listen praised the album for its stark take on contemporary American society as well as its ambiguity.[2] At AllMusic, Mark Deming also emphasized the lyrics and their perspective, summing up that this release, “coalesce[s] into a larger story of malaise that’s powerful without turning histrionic, and this is powerful music that’s both timely and timeless”.[3] In Rolling Stone, Jonathan Bernstein gave the album 3.5 out of five stars, calling this, “a refreshing reminder of what the songwriter has always done best”, particularly for Earle’s lyrics on familial relations.
[4] Libby Cudmore’s review in Paste emphasized the environmentalist and spiritual themes in the lyrics, giving the album 8.2 out of 10.[5] Chris Ingalls of PopMatters sees the work as a critique of the American dream and gave it eight out of 10 stars.[6]
“The Saint of Lost Causes” – 4:51
“Ain’t Got No Money” – 3:05
“Mornings in Memphis” – 4:32
“Don’t Drink the Water” – 4:41
“Frightened by the Sound” – 3:45
“Flint City Shake It” – 3:44
“Over Alameda” – 4:09
“Pacific Northwestern Blues” – 3:37
“Appalachian Nightmare” – 5:37
Who do you pray to for lost causes?
“Say Baby” – 4:30
“Ahi esta mi nina” – 4:06
“Talking to Myself” – 2:55
Justin Townes Earle – vocals, acoustic guitar, production
Adam Ayan – mastering at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine, United States
Adam Bednarik – electric upright bass, bass guitar, engineering, and production
Tchad Blake – mixing at Full Mongrel Studios, Wales, United Kingdom
Fetzer Design – design
Joe V. McMahan – acoustic, baritone, electric, and slide guitar, celesta
What is San Judas known for?
Paul Niehaus – acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar
Jon Radford – drums, percussion
Zaq Reynolds – engineering
Joshua Black Wilkins – photography
Cory Younts – harmonica, piano, backing vocals
