I became familiar with Joe Henry thru a tribute album called Sweet Relief where he collaborated with his sister in law Madonna on a song called "guilty by association"
which was a perfect little song and made me go out and get Trampoline by Joe Henry which is a pretty great recording even tho it now seems like a transition album from his alternative-country roots to his now jazzy art rock albums.
technically Joe has a strange but slightly sexy croak that resembles a younger Tom Waits and has almost all the idiosyncrasies locked down tight with reverberd guitars and funky live drums dominating most of the album and with strange lyrics like "theres something caught in my teeth and a cricket that wont let me sleep/ he sizzles like a radio another world away he laughs at me and my bare feet my flashlight robe and brown tv"
Recall prime Tom Waits with his obsession with gritty details and white trash surrealism.
the strangest thing is most of the guitars are played by Page Hamilton who was guitarist for heavy metal band Helmet of course theres no heavy metal here and shows what a great musician he is.
the most startling song because it sticks out the most is "i was a playboy" which with heavy pathos recounts a players lonely life after his looks and charm have faded.
