I hang ready to be swayed…
‘Invisible
hour’ is Joe Henry’s 13th album. He said on previous occasions it are songs
about marriage. And with this knowledge I find the opening of the album even
stronger than it already is without this fact.
“It wasn’t peace I wanted, it wasn’t peace I
found” are the
opening lines of ‘Sparrow’, Opening track of the album. These are, no less than
the opening words of a very good book. This 1 line makes you want to listen
further, you want to hear his story. At the same time I can completely relate
to them, when it comes to having a family.
On top of the words, ‘Sparrow’ is a very beautiful melody. We are being
spoiled from the very first chord on.
Although
this is Joe Henry’s album, I’ll probably remember it as Joe’s album which Levon
Henry is lifting way up there. Maybe
here we are also witnessing Joe Henry, the producer. I off course don’t know how
it all evolved, but Levon has a major contribution to this album. Sometimes his
clarinet surprises you, with a subtle and beautiful interaction, f.e. ‘Grave
Angels’, ‘Water between us’ or ‘slide’ . Other times he brings us a wonderful
solo. For example, His playing in ‘Sign’ together with the sublime ‘Jay
Bellerose’ is really a conversation of 2 people who truly understand each other.
All over the album we get spoiled with his beautiful playing.
Listening to the swinging ‘Grave
Angels’ or ‘Lead me on’, it is hard to believe that they recorded this album
just in a few days. Oh,… it must have been a fun time….. The joy of all these
musicians is really seductive. ‘Lead me on’ brings us also the warm and
beautiful voice of Lisa Hannigan. It’s like receiving a warm hug in this album.
You have the wonderful Mandola of John in ‘Slide’, and when you hear ‘plain
speak’ or ‘Every Sorrow’…. How to begin with giving enough applause to those
who well deserve it. All of you made
this album to what it is. Josh Hurst wrote in his review: “Truthfully, he
could have self-titled it and none of us would have raised an eyebrow.” But
I’m willing to bet he agrees with me that these musicians are all a part of Joe
Henry.
All there is left to say here is :
Joe, Jay, Jennifer, Levon, Greg, John, David, Kenneth, Joey and Lisa : I thank
you all for bringing this wonderful music.
I already envy those, who will be
hearing these songs performed by the full band. It’s an amazing Chemistry.
Joe : After your solo tour. Please come back
with a ‘full band’ tour ?
The album
is dedicated to the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney. But there are more Irish
influences on this album. Off course there is the presence of Lisa Hannigan,
but also poet Colum McCann, who co-wrote the title track. Today we find out in a German interview that Colum McCann is also of great importance for the
wonderful track ‘sign’. 'Sign' has
for me a definite Irish feel, but musically, I think this is most clear on ‘Every
Sorrow’.
Joe manages
to bring us songs about marriage, without falling into the trap of anecdote.
His lyrics are pure poetry. They hold lots of truth in them. It is indeed
‘plain speak’ when you say : “I want
nothing more, then for you to sway me now”. It is something we think a lot,
but most of us never speak it plainly.
He brings
us again a different album, in comparison to his previous work, but at the same
time it has the mark Joe Henry all over it. How do you do that ? I wonder.
‘Invisible Hour’ is truly a masterpiece.
Something to be genuinely proud of.
Every now and then an album hits the surface that is absolutely perfect.
This one fits right in.
And like
any good book, it ends it with some wonderful closing words which we can hear
in ‘Slide’ :
“….We’re Learning more then we intended…..”
Greetings,
Stefan
