REVIEW: Mr. Henry, Jackhammer (Mighty Hudson Music)
- Daniel Aloi
New York City has, believe it or not, a thriving country rock scene, anchored by folks like Greg Garing, Y'All (soon heading for Nashville, alas) and The Hangdogs. A recent Twangcore II festival (July 10-11 at Coney Island High) showcased some of the city's best as well as out-of-towners like Cheri Knight, Tim Carroll and Drive By Truckers.
Playing in a handful of their regular clubs and putting out music on their own indie labels, a number of these NYC acts weld rural musical traditions with more modern forms like punk (Lancaster County Prison immediately pogos to mind) and Southern rock. The latter is one of the pistons that drives Mr. Henry's engine, although the band is closer to the pop roots of Big Star than it is to either the Allmans or R.E.M.
New York-based Mr. Henry has raised its profile with its second album, Jackhammer, taking out full-page ads in No Depression magazine ("12 songs, 64,244 miles later") reflecting heavy touring and showcases from Austin to Toronto.
Moving and jangly and melodic, Mr. Henry walks a tightrope between alt-country and modern rock, filtered through roots rock akin to that of The Badlees and Hootie and the Blowfish. They might work with a net -- the songs have hooks aplenty -- but they don't fall.
The songs on Jackhammer, accessible as they are, run deeper than mere FM radio fodder. The songs are honest on an emotional level few acts in modern rock can attain -- that's a large part of the band's appeal to the No Depression crowd. The four-piece band is also tight, integrating pop and roots influences into something unmistakably contemporary, and in many ways all their own.
"Lonesome Bus" and "Mess" exemplify main songwriter Dave Slomin's talent for conciseness, crystallizing critical moments in hit-and-miss relationships. He practically has a genre unto himself, reluctant rocking on the edge of leaving. Slomin is recently married, but I don't think he'll lose that edge.
From what I know of him he's quite a happy guy -- and in person, offstage, he almost belies his songwriter's persona, that of a romantic dwelling in love's shadowy corners.
His best song here may "Valentino Dancing," about a woman cataloging the qualities of her ideal man, with a very seductive arrangement that underscores her emotional wanting, needing, hoping. It's one of four songs here produced by Niko Bolas.
And in "Herkimer," Slomin sings about the other New York, the rural upstate region "a hundred miles from in between," mostly unknown to the city and the rest of the country. And like any home, it's difficult to leave. He's itching to go, but he's torn too, playing off the image of spinning out of a driveway on a snowy March day: "There's no traction in this town/Don't know what keeps me here."
Guitarist Steve Conte takes the lead on his two songs, "Big Fat Stars and Glue" and "Rock & Rye Queen," cowritten with Karen Zusman (Slomin and Conte also share music credits on several songs). Both tracks convey damaged romance with poetic images -- "cicada songs in your hair," "In her eyes were fadin' stars" -- and they neatly complement Slomin's more compact narratives. The only thing possibly keeping Mr. Henry off of commercial radio may be their lack of a major label deal (provided they even want one -- if so, it should be the RIGHT deal). They have the goods, as much as any of their heroes or contemporaries.
Here's a concept -- America needs a real roots rock tour. How about a "No Last Names" package with Mr. Henry, Parlor James, Sister Hazel, Moonshine Willy, Lonesome Bob, Oh Susanna and Farmer Not So John, etc. It could be the next semi-big thing, a real y'all-a-palooza, giving a fair shake to these acts (the criminally underrated Bonepony, who have kicked this idea around themselves, could have benefited bigtime) and doing what Lilith Fair and HORDE have done for others.
Mr. Henry's albums are available on the Internet (go to http://mrhenry.com, or e-mail hank@mrhenry.com) or from Miles of Music (888/766-8742 orMilesOMusc@aol.com).
