Joe Henry - Civilians

Joe Henry Is a Lion

I'll throw two more cents in among all the beautiful words people have written on the subject of Civilians. In my view, Tiny Voices might have made a pinnacle of a great career, but somehow Joe Henry keeps getting better, stronger, just keeps growing, as a storyteller, as a lyricist, an instrumentalist. By god, I think he is even breaking new ground in the art of production: who can make something so beautiful and complex sound so natural? This guy is an artist, seriously, of the entire process, from pen-to-paper to CD.

There are a lot of comparisons to Tom Waits, but I don't see such an active similarity. Sure, they both spin a mean yarn, and they are both moving forward as artists. But Waits occupies a unique place in music and art, and Henry is moving his own direction, distilling a whole genre to meet his great strength -- the songwriting -- the sensitivity, uniqueness, humor, sadness, all sparely mixed up like a concentrate of life itself:

I saw Willie Mays
At a Scottsdale Home Depot
Looking at garage-door springs
At the far end of the 14th row
...
The sun is unforgiving and there's
nobody would choose this town
but we've squandered so much of our goodwill
that there's nowhere else would have us now
we push in line at the picture show
for cool air and a chance to see:
A vision of ourselves portrayed as
younger and braver, and humble and free
This was our country
This was our song...

It's heartbreaking, all of it. "Sing it like a song," goes the title track, which along with "Time Is a Lion" are some of the most purely fun songs to sing to I've heard in a long time. The fun, the sadness; something about the relentless picking-it-up-and-laying-it-down gives Henry the authority to speculate on the concept of song itself. Through all the speculation and storytelling, the turns of phrase, and those weird Joe Henry images, he's shining new light on what it means to sing in an age that, with every passing year, more and more resembles the worlds he's been creating all along.

He's holding up a mirror, and I am both overjoyed and horrified by what's in it. I want to cry and dance. That's art. August 12, 2008

A True Classic

After listening to this intensely for several months, I have to say that this is Joe Henry's best album. Considering his past output, that comes as quite a statement. I'd also say that this was the best CD released in 2007, a year that in my opinion contained a bumper crop of exceptionally strong releases.

CIVILIANS signals a coming back towards home in the trajectory of Henry's music. From the Americana troubadour of his earlier work, Henry went to the stratosphere in his last couple of releases (SCAR, TINY VOICES) and achieved a unique, challenging style of music, that defies description. Here, he turns back and approaches a more down to earth style that while still challenging to the listener, is more rooted in the conventions of his earlier work.

This is a very subtle work of art, with songs unfolding after many listens to reveal their grace and beauty. On his last couple albums Henry has been able to employ a virtual fantasy band in each outing, but here outside of guitar wiz Bill Frisell, he employs his studio band to provide backing. They perform strong ensemble playing that highlights the music rather than diverting the listener's attention from the songs. And what songs they are. This is in my opinion the strongest set of songs that Henry has brought together in an album. From the jaunty opening title song through the last notes of GOD ONLY KNOWS, Henry delivers a set of consistently strong sons. My favorites include TIME IS A LION, PARKER'S MOOD, CIVIL WAR and the beautiful OUR SONG, WHICH I NOMINATE FOR THE National anthem for the 21st century. OUR SONG is an extended metaphor involving Willie Mays buying a garage door at Home Depot and the general drift of our nation. It has to be heard to be believed.

A word of note regarding my recommendation of CIVILIANS; this is a work of music that requires concentration to get the maximum satisfaction. That may sound pretentious, and may actually be pretentious for all I know, but I feel that it's true. I own hundreds of CD's and this is one of a limited few that holds up to repeated listens and also delivers a new detail or pleasure with each listening. CIVILIANS is a true classic that is worthy of a five star rating.
July 28, 2008

A Master Musician

This album is solid from the first song on. The tempo is laid back. The music is diverse taking influences from jazz, blues, country, and classic rock. The songs are arranged very well. The tempo and vocals meld together seamlessly. It is a great album to listen too if your looking for something to sooth your mind and relax your body. This album is a lot like comfort food in the form of music. It has great guitar lines arranged to perfection with vocals that fit perfectly. If you are a fan of Amos Lee, The National, or Andrew Bird then there is a good chance you will like this album a lot. June 18, 2008

Civilians

"Civilians" is an albumn that should go down in history as one of the greatest. It's the equivalent of Don Delillo's "Underworld," and if that's too obscure a literary reference, I urge everyone to read the book as well as buy and listen to Joe Henry's albumn. He's a gifted singer/songwriter. June 13, 2008

Great Return to Form

Thank goodness!! After several critically-praised but relatively inaccessible albums, Joe has returned to his strengths - coupling strong melodies, good arrangements, and great lyrics.

Welcome back, Joe. Actually, your talent never was lost on us - it's just that this format shows it far better than where you've been hanging out he last few years.

March 24, 2008

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