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The Henrys
Joyous Pourous
Those with a reasonably intact memory will recollect The Henrys' excellent earlier albums (ref fR158/9 and fRoots 6 CD). They're an intriguing Canadian output mixing progressive rootsy sort-of-acoustic sounds centred around various slidey things played by Don Rooke (Weissenborns, Konas, Nationals, lap steels etc.), and always including some vocalisation by the enigmatic and reclusive Mary Margaret O'Hara.
Well, if you do, and if news of another - their fourth, and first since 1998's Desert Cure - tickles your fancy, then you'll be very pleased to know that this one could be their best yet. What the Henrys do is put across the ambience of roots music without actually playing trad. Indeed, O'Hara's singing manages to give the impression that she's singing some torchy country blues without, quite often, actually uttering a conventional word (who needs language to communicate anyway, as any fule world music fan kno?).
It's deep into virtuoso textures on slides, acoustic bass (now David Pilch), trumpet, pump organ, violin, kalimba, drums, mellotron, theremin and all sorts - mostly original compositions (apart from Mingus' Goodbye Porkpie Hat and the old standard Maria Elena), and all beautifully recorded. If you're looking for musical fellow travellers, then probably Bill Frisell or David Lindley would be your nearest points of reference, but in all honesty, this group's pretty much in a compartment of one. Telling you that it's among the few records that would be equally at home in fRoots and The Wire might also give you a pointer, but then so's Shirley Collins. hmm - Ian Anderson, fRoots
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