New Joe Henry
Posted by: Minky on 15 September 2003
Joe Henry - Tiny Voices
This picks up where "Scar" left off. Henry has obviously listened to his last album and thought "I wish I had made it bigger, darker, quirkier and jazzier".
The cover is a creepy antique photograph of some grotesque circus performers standing in a doorway. It's a powerful image that leaves you expecting something dark and tortured, which is more or less what you get.
It's hard to describe the canvas that Henry paints. Think Paulo Conte's "Reveries" with lyrics by Tom Waits (there’s a song called "the ground wants you back"). The orchestration is disciplined chaos of the highest order. Here is the recipe : Start with a sinister backdrop of huge flat wobbly drums. For nostalgia add bass and alto clarinet with plenty of vibrato. Layered trumpets and far-away layers give yearning. Cut in slashes of electric guitar and swirling keyboards. For extra spice add liberal splashes of dissonance, unidentified flying objects, and sudden mix-shifts.
I don't normally care that much about production but it's hard to ignore this one. It's a huge rumbling avalanche of a thing. If you want to impress the guests or up the ante with the neighbors this should do the trick nicely.
Recommended ? Not sure. I'll let you know.
This picks up where "Scar" left off. Henry has obviously listened to his last album and thought "I wish I had made it bigger, darker, quirkier and jazzier".
The cover is a creepy antique photograph of some grotesque circus performers standing in a doorway. It's a powerful image that leaves you expecting something dark and tortured, which is more or less what you get.
It's hard to describe the canvas that Henry paints. Think Paulo Conte's "Reveries" with lyrics by Tom Waits (there’s a song called "the ground wants you back"). The orchestration is disciplined chaos of the highest order. Here is the recipe : Start with a sinister backdrop of huge flat wobbly drums. For nostalgia add bass and alto clarinet with plenty of vibrato. Layered trumpets and far-away layers give yearning. Cut in slashes of electric guitar and swirling keyboards. For extra spice add liberal splashes of dissonance, unidentified flying objects, and sudden mix-shifts.
I don't normally care that much about production but it's hard to ignore this one. It's a huge rumbling avalanche of a thing. If you want to impress the guests or up the ante with the neighbors this should do the trick nicely.
Recommended ? Not sure. I'll let you know.