Marty Stuart Goes West (and Beyond) with ‘Space Junk’ » PopMatters

Space Junk carries a very particular, yet effective vibe, and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives tweak it just enough to keep it captivating.

Space Junk Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Snakefarm 12 April 2025

It takes all of two seconds of Space Junk to realize what Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are up to. That alternate-picked run is straight out of the surf rock playbook; Dick Dale would be proud. Stuart has played a little bit of everything over the years, and while he’s more known for country, bluegrass, and rockabilly, the turn to surf rock isn’t out of character (and has been part of his repertoire for years).

For Space Junk, Stuart and the band decided to do a throwback instrumental record. They explicitly took the Ventures as an inspiration, and that’s a good starting point for what this album sounds like. Given Stuart’s natural adventurousness, though, it’s also only a jumping off point for describing this sweeping set of 20 instrumentals.

Because Stuart doesn’t like it too simple, talking about going to Hollywood to record music that sounds like California, then putting “Graveyard” (the surfiest of songs) to open the record, only to explain that one was recorded in…Nashville. Near the graveyard where George Jones and Marty Robbins are buried. All part of the regular process for Stuart, who follows “Graveyard” with “All the Pretty Horses”, a decidedly inland track that has more to do with the Wild West and Ennio Morricone than, say, Link Wray. That’s all part of the fun of Space Junk, though; the band wander, but they create a mood that runs throughout their play with styles.

The twists might be surprising at times, but the skill level isn’t. The core of the Superlatives has been together for over 20 years, and they play off each other with ease. The comfort allows them to move from the surf to the desert to a British spy movie with ease. Their technical proficiency does some of the work for them, but natural flair helps carry the album. It’s an attitude record, and Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives have plenty of that.

The title track properly gives this varied album its liftoff. It starts with heavier drums and a darker tone than much of the record, and finishes with a sample taken from Sputnik’s signal. It’s a strange detour up and back, but it works. The group reset for a moment, but then goes off with an 1980s pop tone on “Coastline”. Stuart might be in love with California for this record, but he’s as happy as ever to play with all kinds of times and places.

The record settles in for its final stretch, sounding like the West Coast from 60 or 70 years ago—and they’ve nailed the guitar tone. “The Surfing Cowboy” explains much of the record with its title, but its bright pop sound, tasteful tremolo, and slick lead guitar would need no introduction. Stuart played “California Part 1 (Bobbie Gentry Please Call)” on Clarence White’s Telecaster. Still, it’s the steel guitar on “Waltz of the Waves” that brings the record to its proper conclusion, finding that sweet spot between Hawaiian and country playing. Space Junk carries a very particular, yet effective vibe, and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives tweak it just enough to keep it captivating.