When his father died in 2021, James McMurtry went through his effects and discovered a rough pencil sketch of himself as a child. “The Black Dog & the Wandering Boy,” his eleventh album, was in the works at that time. The sketch was of James himself, but he wasn’t sure who the artist was. His stepmom identified it as resembling the work of Ken Kesey from the ’60s, a time when Kesey’s Merry Pranksters, a group of hippie activists and creators, frequently visited James’ father, Larry McMurtry, his wife Faye, and young James. The album, The Black Dog & the Wandering Boy, is a collection of rough-hewn story-songs and richly drawn character sketches with elements of Americana. It features rolling guitars, barroom harmonies, and traces of banjo and harmonica, but goes beyond the typical categorizations. Both funny and sad, the album adds a new chapter to James McMurtry’s long career. His influence is evident in younger songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell, both of whom have acknowledged his impact. Jarosz even plays on the new album, while Isbell has taken McMurtry on tour. The characters in McMurtry’s songs face realizations that are often difficult and sorrowful, coming at the end of life rather than the beginning. Some find solace in a calling or a cherished memory, while others meet tragic fates, like the South Texas lawman. Even the songwriter himself sometimes doesn’t know what will inspire him next. As James McMurtry puts it, “You follow the words where they lead. If you can get a character, maybe you can get a story. If you can set it to a verse-chorus structure, maybe you can get a song.”
