Scar [ECD]

Singer-songwriter Joe Henry has moved through a number of stylistic phases throughout his career, from Van Morrison-like impressionism to country-rock to Tom Waits/Beck-inspired sonic experimentation. His restless artistic nature may have filled his catalogue with peaks and valleys, but SCAR represents the first time all the aspects of Henry's muse have come together in a satisfying whole. Aided by no less estimable a figure than Ornette Coleman (!) who lends moody sax to a few of the tracks, Henry lets his image-heavy lyrics run free over a broad soundscape that mixes the acoustic, electric, and electronic in an extremely organic way.
"Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" (has Henry been taking song title tips from Mark Eitzel?) lends an agreeable concision to the kind of mood pieces Henry strove towards on TRAMPOLINE. The traditional songcraft of "Cold Enough to Cross" harks back to the troubadour style of KINDNESS OF THE WORLD. Perhaps the most memorable song, "Stop" is a creepy little rumba that paints a trenchant picture of romantic obsession. The fact that it was contemporaneously covered by Henry's sister-in-law Madonna in a nearly unrecognisable manner just means he won't have to worry about the rent while he's working on his next piece of evocative artistry.|