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Joe Henry Unveils CiviliansCivilians Reveals Henry's Brilliance as Songwriter, ProducerWith Civilians, Joe Henry's dual roles as producer and songwriter coalesce seamlessly on an album of pure Americana magic.
Over the past two decades Joe Henry has led a dual life. As a songwriter, he has released a number of critically acclaimed albums ranging from straight-up Americana to atmospheric indie rock. As a first-call producer, he has helmed albums by such legends as Loudon Wainwright III, Aimee Mann and Solomon Burke (whose album Don’t Give Up on Me earned him a Grammy). Civilians, his first release since 2003’s Tiny Voices, reaps the benefits of having worked with such a diverse group of artists. Assembling a crack band for these sessions—including Jay Bellerose (drums), Patrick Warren (keyboards), Greg Leisz (mandolin, acoustic guitar, Weissenborn and lap steel), David Piltch (bass), and guitar virtuoso Bill Frissell—Henry has produced the strongest album of his career. Henry’s greatest strengths lie in his writing and his loose production style. On Civilians, his songs range from personal narratives of love and faith to observations of a country in decline. What is constant is his first-person perspective. As a producer, Henry spends no more than five days making an album, recording the bulk of the songs live with the band in the same room. The approach breathes life into these songs that might not otherwise have risen to the occasion of his lyrics. God, Love Frequent Civilians The title track gets Civilians underway. Underneath of cabaret-style sheen of mandolin and quirky electric guitar licks, Henry muses on the things lovers put themselves through, singing “Life is short but, by the grace of God, the night is long.” The music remains loose over Bellerose’s shuffle beat, allowing Henry’s lyrics to stand out. God is never far from Henry’s pen. On “Parker’s Mood” and “Civil War,” visions of loss and regret fall under his microscope, but both are ultimately trumped by love. “God is in the details of the smoke in the air. The devil, he’s a pauper prince, nesting in your hair,” Henry sings on “Parker’s Mood.” “The things we put together, the world will tear a part, but I’ve beat them to the start along the way… Oh, my love is here to stay.” On both, the instrumentation is elegant and never intrusive. Civilians Finds Henry at His Most PersonalHenry’s brilliance as a songwriter has long been heralded. Yet on Civilians his pen has never been sharper. “You Can’t Fail Me Now,” a song co-written with Wainwright, finds Henry appealing to a lover, friend (or maybe God), asking forgiveness for his failings and perhaps a second chance. “We’re taught to love the worst of us, and mercy more than life, but trust me: Mercy’s just a warning shot across the bow—I live for yours, and you can’t fail me now.” But it’s “Our Song” where Henry outdoes himself. The song begins with Henry finding Willie Mays at a Scottsdale Home Depot and develops into a full-blown lament for a country that used to be and what could still be. It’s a devastating slice of life, and well might be Henry’s magnum opus. In all, Civilians is an album about America—not a patriotic tribute, but a thoughtful examination of what it means to be American. Whether it’s soldiers or God or baseball legends or time, Henry carefully examines his subjects through a distinctively American lens. While labels come and go, Civilians is truly an Americana piece of work.
The copyright of the article Joe Henry Unveils Civilians in Indie Music is owned by Lee Simmons. Permission to republish Joe Henry Unveils Civilians in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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