Joe Henry - Fuse [ENHANCED CD]

Joe Henry has the instincts of a good storyteller--he can capture a lifetime of small victories and even smaller defeats in a few seemingly offhand phrases--paired with a sensualist's delight in sonic pleasure. Recorded with help from producers Daniel Lanois and T Bone Burnett, Fuse is an atmospheric marvel, full of heavy-lidded grooves, lonesome trumpets, and desiccated lust. "Want Too Much" captures that moment when desire curdles into despair, and "Beautiful Hat" offers the stately elegance of a Crescent City funeral march. But the album's greatest marvel is "Great Lake," which begins, "Terri comes in laughing, shakes her coat off, and I just can't bear to look." The song only gets better from there, thanks to a liquid bass line and Henry's ability to squeeze four conflicting emotions from the repeated use of one key word. If Raymond Carver had written songs instead of stories and enjoyed life as much as he suffered, he might have sounded like this. --Keith Moerer Amazon.com essential recording

Not at all like Tom Waits! like Cousteau but not as good

Ok I read about this guy in my brother's paste magazine and heard some tracks on myspace thought he sounded interesting. Like the reviewer below the article compared him to Waits.. I really don't see the comparison. He doesn't sound anything like him, these guys are from 2 different planets of sound. Also he lacks the edge that Waits has. As John Stewart of the Daily show said of Waits: "....listening to you're albums I thought: I'd really like to lay on the street almost dead with this guy". With Joe's music (at least on this cd) you feel more like: " I'm a super rich, super cool, metrosexual that just got turned down for a second date.. oh well no biggy".
The reviewer below claimed Joe is smarter than Waits because hes not as sentimental. Thats whats actually kind of frustrating about this album its too elegant. I think Joe is a little too self conscious so he feels he has to subdue everything. The sound of the album is generally pretty good but theres not really anything suprising about it. By the time you get to track 7 you'll start to get tired of it especially cause that track is a crapy lounge instrumental. I also get tired of the doop doop doobie doop, psuedo hip hop bass line in almost every song.
This cd is not a total waste. You might want to use it as background music for a some hipster's sophisticated party, or to get someone to make out with you. Since its so typically urban sounding it would also be nice theme music for a typical cop or romance movie. I will say I like his cover of "we'll meet again" more than Johnny Cash's.
One more thing: If I was going to compare this music with anybody elses it would be Cousteau..BIG time. not Waits! and Couestau is better at it with a better singer too. December 3, 2006

Like Tom Waits only smarter and better

This is the album where Joe Henry stepped out of the shadows of alt country and delivered as good an album as you will find in contemporary pop music. The songwriting is outstanding, the production is superb, and this album is just plain too smart and good for popular consumption. Strip Tom Waits of sentimentality and obviousness and this is what you'd get.

What Joe Henry lacks is the ability to pose and act cool. He's just a regular guy making some of the best pop music in the country. And that's just fine by me. November 27, 2004

Great CD but I'm very biased

I am a huge fan of Joe Henry's work and although this Album is not a patch on the excellent "Trampoline" it is still very representative of his "newer" work with some fine songs indeed so if you like your music slow and offbeat check out Joe Henry's newer Albums (his early material is different, more country-I like it as well but you might not) March 7, 2003

Disappointing

Although I'm not a country fan, I loved the raw, spare, inventive alt.country angst of Trampoline, so I was disappointed in Fuse. With Fuse, Henry has stepped even further away from his country roots, with lyrics that are much more abstract, vocals that are largely stripped of emotion, and music that, although dark, has a quality that reminded me a lot of 80's pop -- stale and dated. June 12, 2001

There's genius in here

Trying to throw adjectives at Joe Henry is a difficult proposition - Henry is an elusive talent, a wordsmith, with a very diverse style. Perhaps you could think of Henry as Tom Waits' slicker more urbane nephew - perhaps I could be way off the mark, in any case what we have here is another great record to enjoy from Joe Henry. Expanding on his excellent '96 album 'Trampoline' and it's forays into more urban, sampled territory from his previous alt.country/folk leanings, 'Fuse' finds Henry even more at home in a dark, brooding, smoky jazz club, than the twang of a small town bar&grill. Ever the inventive lyricist, Henry clearly enjoys wrapping his lips around evocative phrases - take "... her fingers on your lips are like a penny for a fuse" from the delicious title track, or "rolling over granite there's a smell like plums and clay" from 'Angels'. Not to forget the songs - simultaneously taut and multi-textured grooves that are beautifully composed, very catchy and blessed with the perfect companion in Henrys deep, one of a kind voice. Standout tracks would have to be 'Fuse', the delightful 'Skin And Teeth' and 'Great Lake' all ruminations on fragile relationships carried off with an effortless cool. July 6, 2000

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