Wry observations and mordant wit seem to be McMurtry literary traits, and by now singer-songwriter James has, in his own field, proven himself the peer of his distinguished novelist father, Larry, on those counts. Emerging in 1989 as a preternaturally mature, if not downright dour, storyteller and commentator, on recent albums (as indicated by the titles Childish Things and now Just Us Kids) he has gotten in touch with his inner rebellious teenager, leavening the dark shadows of his evocative ballads (like “Ruby and Carlos” and “Fireline Road”) with pointed rip-it-up rocking (such as “Bayou Tortous” and “Freeway View”). At the same time, McMurtry has also become more politicized (as the song title “Cheney’s Toy” clearly indicates), though it’s all set squarely within the tradition of American realist writing, moored upon a bedrock of idealism that extends back to Mark Twain. And even if Just Us Kids may not be his most resonant set of compositions, it explores who we are and how we live in America today with all the punch of a documentary film exposé or bold tabloid headline.
