Good and Green Again

On the finale of Jake Xerxes Fussells fourth album, he builds an entire song around the anonymous inscription on an antique hooked rug: "General Washington, noblest of men, his house, his horse, his cherry tree, and him." Fans of his previous albums will no doubt see this as a move of particularly Fussellian character. The laid-back singer, guitarist, and folk music scholar from Durham, North Carolina has a knack for uncovering obscure material and interpreting it with an ever-mingling sense of casual warmth and mirth. His approach remains refreshingly devoid of the authenticist pageantry and manufactured grit that all too often plagues Americanas deep divers. In fact, hes proven himself to be quite adventurous, working with inspired collaborators who occupy a similar liminal mindset of historical inspiration and contemporary experimentation. On Good and Green Again, he cedes production duties to British singer/songwriter James Elkington and works with a cast of both returning players (Libby Rodenbough, Casey Toll) and a few fresh recruits (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Joe Westerlund). The gentle march of opener "Love Farewell" is punctuated by some foot taps and eerie treated piano with Billys high tenor sprinkled lightly over Fussells own affable drawl. As usual, his vocal timing is its own unique instrument, making his nine-minute reading of the maritime ballad, "The Golden Willow Tree," pass all too quickly. For his part, Elkington applies some very effective, though subtle arrangements to Fussells otherwise straightforward guitar and vocal approach. Until now, Fussells albums have consisted solely of adapted traditional material, but with this set, he offers up the first original songs of his career. Of those four tracks, three are instrumentals and are among the albums best, particularly "In Florida" and the sweetly grooving "Frolic." Theres something special about Fussells music that is both transporting and deeply relaxing. Listening to Good and Green Again is like visiting a warm little den where the songs of yesteryear spend an easy hour catching up on the news of the present. His is a peculiar gift, but one hes learned how to use to great effect. ~ Timothy Monger