Civilians - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Though Joe Henry has recently been busier as a producer (for the Grammy-winning Solomon Burke, a well-received collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, and Henry's own collaboration with Loudon Wainwright III), his first recording of his own material in four years reminds that he has few peers among contemporary singer-songwriters. On previous releases, his adventurousness has pulled his music in all sorts of different directions, but focus and cohesion characterize this song cycle--one that suggests that all politics aren't merely local, but deeply personal. From the centerpiece of "Our Song," where Willie Mays laments what the country has become and remembers what it was, Henry crafts a literate, typically inspired song cycle. Stately waltzes, chamber atmospherics, and jazz instrumentation contribute to the cinematic scope of the music, with guitarists Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz and keyboardists Van Dyke Parks and Patrick Warren providing support that leaves the songs plenty of room to breathe. On "You Can't Fail Me Now" and "God Only Knows," it's hard to distinguish poetry from prayer. --Don McLeese

From Amazon.ca
Joe Henry's latest is arguably his finest. This is not meant to undermine the allure and strengths of his previous works--rather, it speaks to artistry at work, that the newest is his best thus far. His work as a producer (for, among others, Allen Toussaint & Elvis Costello, Aimee Mann, Bettye LaVette, and Solomon Burke) has clearly informed what flows forth here. Having assembled a stellar band, he rose to the occasion with this set of emotionally complex songs, rich in subtleties. Deftly drawn characters inhabit many of the lyrics, with the centerpiece being "Our Song," wherein he offers up a viable fiction: encountering baseball hero Willie Mays shopping in an Arizona Home Depot. The melancholy of time passing and expectations being shuffled about makes this a riveting and moving number. Sociopolitical circumstances inform much of the album, but never as sloganeering, always human-scaled, with warmth and a beating heart. --David Greenberger

Product Description
Since the release of 2003's acclaimed "Tiny Voices", singer/songwriter Henry has appeared mainly as a producer, working on career defining releases by Aimee Mann, Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke, and most recently as producer and co-writer of "Strange Weirdos" (with Loudon Wainwright), the soundtrack to the film "Knocked Up". Working with this generation's finest songwriters inspired Joe to his strongest set of songs on "Civilians"; songs of a new warmth and directness and a bold sense of melody that rides atop the cutting edge arrangements he's become known for. Features legendary pianist/songwriter Van Dyke Parks (everyone from the Beach Boys to U2) and jazz guitar pioneer Bill Frisell (Elvis Costello, Norah Jones).

Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Buy this now September 20, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

This album is amazing. I continue to be mystified as to why every Dylan fan is not also a Joe Henry fan, although Joe is probably more frequently compared to Tom Waits, if only because they both write short stories in their lyrics. Civilians has stellar lyrics, like all Joe Henry albums (I also recommend his trio of perfection: Tiny Voices, Fuse, and Scar).

There are some really well-written, 4 star reviews of this album out in the blogosphere now, so go do a google search on some of those, because they do this album more justice than I ever could.

But, how to describe this album? Someone said "folk-noir" and I think that about sums up Joe's sound as best anyone could. Civilians is quieter than Tiny Voices -- less of a jazz sound if you will, more stripped down. The production is gorgeous -- there are some quiet spaces on these songs where everything just breathes, and I *love* the instrumentation on it -- pump organ, amazing piano, and some gorgeous strings on the epic "Our Song," which is the centerpiece of the album. This album will definitely grow on you.

Now Joe just needs to tour more!

As an added bonus, like all his other albums since Fuse, the art direction/layout (with photos by John Cohen) is more deserving of a gallery show than to be simply on a cd rack.

Some lines from "Wave," my favorite track:

"And all the while I kept your name beside me
I wrote it, but refused it on my tongue,
Believing you a song still there inside me
I feared your loss if ever it were sung"

5 out of 5 stars

Civilian Vocies September 12, 2007
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Joe Henry's Civilians is a stirring, sincere and thoughtful work of simple brilliance. Henry has said he did not intend to make a political record yet did, but it's politics is timeless, rooted in civilian struggle of the simple meandering hardships and graces of life, regardless of whatever "current administration" of whatever year. The record could have been recorded 50, 30, 20 years ago and the same political references would have been relevant.

Beyond the politics, the music and lyrics are rich and vivid, the songs are never let go, held tight yet given enough room to breathe. Civilians could be described as a mix between "Kindness of the World" and "Tiny Voices". And although many will think it hyperbole, Civilians is not just the front running candidate from album of the year, Henry has delivered what could easily be a contender for album of the decade.

5 out of 5 stars

Diamond Joe's latest gem September 11, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

You know the way that the album that introduced you to an artist retains a special place? The first Dylan album I bought on its release was "Street Legal" and nearly 30 years on it remains one of my favourites. Similarly, my Joe Henry introduction was through a Minneapolis/St.Paul newspaper profile in 1992 that sent me off to my then local store in Madison, WI to get "Short Man's Room"; that record (get it now if you don't have it) is still a gem.

Joe Henry had released three albums before then and has released a half dozen or more since. He doesn't seem to rush these things, and they sound relaxed and easy, and they are constantly worth revisiting. "Civilians" has just eased itself into a seat at the top table; a warm, inviting, funny collection of gloriously played songs (played by a band sounding like a band having, as Grandpa Bob would have it, a whomping good time).

Henry has a knack of writing a lyric and melody that snags in your head that keeps you company on a window-down late evening drive or dancing with your partner as the wedding party winds down and the autumn bonfires are glowing orange on Mayo beaches. That's fine and dandy, but does this stuff swing and sway? Oh yeah. This is a cracker of an album, something that should be played loud, played quiet but played, again and again.

Album of the year? Quite possibly, and not just of this year.

3 out of 5 stars

So Earnestly Competant, Yet Where's The Magic? October 10, 2007
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

I have been a follower of Joe Henry since the days of "Murder of Crows", and always anticipate hearing what the singer/songwriter will come up with next. But for me personally, something went woefully missing around the time of "Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation." I love the fact that Henry's voice has fallen into an elegent, lived-in vibe, and he still sketches personal tales with all the skill of a playwright. The musicians who back him up are top notch - the arrangements studious and majestic, but there is a beleaguering sense of sameness that weighs this record down like a gold-plated anvil. No doubt tracks like "Our Song", which uses baseball icon Willie Mays as a metaphor for a time when America actually stood for something noble, showcase Henry at his brilliantly trenchant best. Still, "Civilians" begs the question: Where did the magic go? Where are tracks with the fully-realized greatness of "Ohio Air Show Plane Crash", "Flower Girl", "Skin and Teeth" and "Angels" - songs that not only tell a story, but mesmerize with their quirky sonic touches and Henry's vacillating-between-tentative-and-commanding vocalese? I just don't feel it here, nor did I feel it on "Scar" or "Tiny Voices", Henry's past two releases. Call me a heretic, but I would like to see Henry do a side-project with some unlikely collaborator like Kayne West, KT Tunstall or Beck - I'm positive the results of which would trigger a aesthetic U-turn in Henry's modus operandi, and bring some much-needed audaciousness back to Henry's songcraft. In the meantime, I'll revisit Henry's wonderfully eclectic masterpiece "Fuse", and cross my fingers.

5 out of 5 stars

A Master Musician June 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This album is solid from the first song on. The tempo is laid back. The music is diverse taking influences from jazz, blues, country, and classic rock. The songs are arranged very well. The tempo and vocals meld together seamlessly. It is a great album to listen too if your looking for something to sooth your mind and relax your body. This album is a lot like comfort food in the form of music. It has great guitar lines arranged to perfection with vocals that fit perfectly. If you are a fan of Amos Lee, The National, or Andrew Bird then there is a good chance you will like this album a lot.

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