End of the year press

Lots of praise for Joe Henry these days to be found in the press.

about Invisible Hour : 

NPR
Ann Powers calls Joe Henry's 13th album "A meditation on unmarriage, on life and death, on all the big issues. It's enriched by his incredible literary knowledge. There's a song that references Melville, a song that references Alice Munro. I can sink into this album for days and weeks on end."

Josh Hurst
 ....It is also his masterwork—and given how much I like his other albums, that’s saying quite a bit.

Routs and Branches
 Such beautiful and evocative work, self-produced and pared to its essence.  It's almost as though Henry has drifted into a genre all his own over the past decade.  More than any other album on this list, Invisible Hour is pure poetry.

www.ilmascalzone.it 
I wonder if the time is ripe for the music of Joe Henry to receive the recognition it deserves. One might say that, if it wasn't with albums such as "Scar" and "Civilians",time may not ever mature....
........(Invisible hour is) simply inevitable as each disc of Joe Henry is.

http://loosehandlebars.wordpress.com/
I suppose he inhabits a style somewhere between Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Whilst he has a background in what is termed these days as Americana he manages to mix in jazzy touches that delightfully embellish the songs. “Invisible Hour” is an LP that I have found myself lost in whilst on my constitutionals with our faithful hound, little realising what time has passed.

nippertown

Joe Henry’s Invisible Hour is so relentlessly, ridiculously beyond good that speaking about it reduces me to gibberish. It is my Top 10 for 2014. I don’t mean to say that it is at the top of the list, no, it is the entire list. - See more at: http://www.nippertown.com/#sthash.hCk2rR2q.dpuf

Joe Henry’s Invisible Hour is so relentlessly, ridiculously beyond good that speaking about it reduces me to gibberish. It is my Top 10 for 2014. I don’t mean to say that it is at the top of the list, no, it is the entire list.

Joe Henry’s Invisible Hour is so relentlessly, ridiculously beyond good that speaking about it reduces me to gibberish. It is my Top 10 for 2014. I don’t mean to say that it is at the top of the list, no, it is the entire list. - See more at: http://www.nippertown.com/#sthash.hCk2rR2q.dpuf

Joe Henry’s Invisible Hour is so relentlessly, ridiculously beyond good that speaking about it reduces me to gibberish. It is my Top 10 for 2014. I don’t mean to say that it is at the top of the list, no, it is the entire list. - See more at: http://www.nippertown.com/#sthash.hCk2rR2q.dpuf

about the Wexford Carols :

 kleinezeitung.at
When dealing with the old songs Joe Henry succeeds again to set the arrangements to the right level. To create the harmonious atmosphere for the sung stories in songs like shepherds, angels, the Three Kings, "The Virgin Queen of Bethlehem" and "The Darkest Midnight in December". Scarcity and wealth, the emotions properly dosed in balance. The fine singers and instrumentalists facilitate Henry's task of course enormously.

about Bitter Tears Revisited

https://paulkerr.wordpress.com/tag/joe-henry/
First thing to say here is that Look Again To The Wind is a perfect Christmas present for anyone who has any interest in American country music. Like the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou it’s crammed full of excellent songs, excellently played by some of the best artists around. As a concept it’s interesting, as an album it’s little short of magnificent. 

 www.sfchronicle.com
Half a century later, Cash’s vision retains its power, offering a welcome reminder of why the album might endure despite digital technology’s fragmenting force.  

About Worthy

Bluesmagazine.nl
(Blogger note : As far as I know, Thankful 'N Thoughtful was not produced by Joe, but by Craig Street.)

Again praise to this much sought-after producer, who can be verry selective and careful in picking new projects. Over and over again he seems to be capable of delivering an absolute top product.

Random

Jeff Schwachter
My dream: An acoustic tour on heels of an album of new acoustic Dylan songs with Bob playing them all on guitar with Joe Henry producing and playing on the affair.