Joe Henry
Fuse
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Joe Henry
Fuse
Mammoth, 1999
RiYL: Vic Chesnutt, Gram Parsons, Wilco's Being There |
While Wilco's Summer Teeth is currently a media darling for its sheer mass and variety, Henry's Fuse will likely go down as one of the most underrated albums of 1999. Music critics generally point to Wilco's 1996 epic Being There as the genesis for the evolving alt.country genre. However, it was Joe Henry's Trampoline -- released a few months before Being There -- that made the world safe for Wilco.
Coming off two critically acclaimed albums recording with the backing of the Jayhawks, Trampoline saw Henry beautifully merging the organic feel of country music with buzzing, crunchy guitars and drum loops. From the album's opener "Bob And Ray" to its searing closer "Parade," Henry made perhaps one of the most influential, important, and under-recognized albums of all time. One need only listen to the closing track of Son Volt's latest album to hear just how widespread Henry's influence is.
And while Wilco has been reaping the attention of Rolling Stone and literally every on-line music mag, Henry again is plowing away with one of the most musically expansive albums of the past five years. Fuse comes in where Trampoline left off: a little more daring, a little more explosive, and a lot less country.
The album's leading track "Monkey" has the tight groove evident on Trampoline and segues into the lyrically stunning and musically enthralling "Angel." "If I know my angels / I know what they'd say: 'Be still my little butcher boy, you'll give us all away / Be still, you wretched little freak, give us room to move'," Henry writes.
The music throughout Fuse finds Henry in his most consistent and solid moods since 1992's small-town epoch Short Man's Room. A touch of soul, some pop hooks, haunting melodies, and a surprising amount of contemporary jazz nearly allow Henry to leave the alt.country genre altogether. The instrumental "Curt Flood" makes Henry sound like he could have backed up such contemporary jazz artists as Candy Dulpher.
Fuse only contains two possible singles: the undeniably catchy "Skin And Teeth" and the irresistible "Great Lake," which is basically Trampoline part II. Otherwise, the album spirals darkly into a neatly-designed splatter. Closer "We'll Meet Again" drudges up memories of the late, great Frank Sinatra, only in an off-color manner.
But as in all of Henry's albums, no matter how tight the record is musically, Henry is best known for his dark, descriptive lyrics. Comparable to Vic Chesnutt or Ernest Hemingway, Henry definitely makes a name for himself on Fuse, with such lyrical masterpieces containing heavy religious overtones as "Beautiful Hat" and "Like She Was a Hammer":
Her foot falls like a banner day / and I will sing along / like she was the anvil / like she was the fire bell / like she was the fever I wear like a crown / like she was the bomb scare / threatening with heaven / like she was the only thing holding me to the ground.
So as key players in the alt.country world begin to venture into the world outside of Steve Earle, it is Joe Henry leading the charge. Fuse is far more daring and expansive than Wilco's Summerteeth and, as history has alluded to, it will likely be more influential as well.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.