[.ca] Fuse

Amazon.com essential recording:
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

From Amazon.co.uk:
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

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.

The Rapture of Song and Story:
It's rare to find a brilliant songwriter who also knows how to work the melody to perfection. I was immediately pleased to see that Daniel Lanois was behind the scenes on this. He and Brain Eno know just how to serenade our senses. "Fuse" is a savory feast of songs, with the right dash of sarcasm...

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)

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.

America's Best Kept Secret:
I couldn't say it better than the other posters below me. Joe Henry's best effort and most complete recording to date. This one is over the top in great songs that will get under your skin and stay there! 2 elements that add a huge amount of polish and atmosphere to this cd are guitarist Randy Jacobs and producer/mixer T-bone Burnett. Randy Jacobs guitar playing equals Joe's enormous talent. He is masterful, subtle, and, oh so tasteful. Burnett knows how to get everything out of the music, and, he does get it with this recording. I could go on and on, but, I think I'll go listen to 'Skin and Teeth' again.

• Monkey
• Angels
• Fuse
• Skin and Teeth
• Eat
• Want Too Much
• Curt Flood
• Like She Was a Hammer
• Great Lake
• Beautiful Hat - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joe Henry
• We'll Meet Again