Joe Henry - Fuse (1999)

Henry has often made stylistic departures, so Fuse shouldn't be all that shocking. Yet, "Fat" sounds freaky till the beats soak in; the faux soul of "Want Too Much" is cloying. But ultimately, the new groove-a-delic Henry knows how to work the sound as he mixes and matches old and new, as on the Dylan-y bits with a "millennial" backing track (Daniel Lanois and T-Bone Burnett step in to mix); the subtle, catchy chorus in the opener "Monkey"; the laid-back and fuzzy "Angels"; and the fantastically evocative and poetic mysticism in the title song. There's upbeat melodicism in (I love you with my) "Skin and Teeth." But why that George Benson-like guitar solo during "Curt Flood"?

Tracklist:
1.01 - Joe Henry - Monkey (4:01)
1.02 - Joe Henry - Angels (5:43)
1.03 - Joe Henry - Fuse (4:19)
1.04 - Joe Henry - Skin And Teeth (3:52)
1.05 - Joe Henry - Fat (3:25)
1.06 - Joe Henry - Want Too Much (5:44)
1.07 - Joe Henry - Curt Flood (3:50)
1.08 - Joe Henry - Like She Was A Hammer (4:27)
1.09 - Joe Henry - Great Lake (5:31)
1.10 - Joe Henry - Beautiful Hat (3:35)
1.11 - Joe Henry - We'll Meet Again (1:53)