From Fufkin.com, Staff Writer
I loved Henry's Scar. I didn't love Joe Henry at the time; I simply took him for more of the same singer/songwriter/acoustic troubadour trash that revivified as an ideal in the late 90's. But then, on the recommendation of a friend and the promise of Ornette Coleman playing on a new rock record (I suppose that's technically correct, but Coleman has quite often "rocked" and a few of his middle era records - Dancing in My Head comes to mind first - are nothing short of rockroll), I went out, dropped money on Scar, and found myself a new hero. Joe Henry won me over.
I'm not sure about sales numbers and that sort of shit, but I'd hazard a wild-assed guess that Henry hasn't won over a ton of folks yet. He may never. And I am pretty damn sure he doesn't care. In fact I am sure he doesn't care. How? Simple - just listen to Tiny Voices. Only an absolute fool would reach back into smoky lounge and jazz music and hope to strike it rich in rockroll today. And to do so on two straight recordings, well you're either as damned a fool as they come or a wildly talented and focused sonuvabitch who could give two fucks less what rockroll wants in exchange for its bullshit fame. Sure, Henry will tell you, sure I'd like lots of people to hear my music…that's why I make it. But, what he won't tell you is that he ain't gonna compromise its integrity just for a few bucks cash and another chance to place his name under shrink-wrap.
There is no compromise on Tiny Voices, just a warm and wonderful earthy jazz vibe that sounds so much more alive (and human! Imagine that, music that sounds like flesh, bone, and blood) than seventy-three percent of all the lifeless canned music polluting the air these days. Sure it's somewhat derivative of Tom Waits, but without all of the obvious eccentricities. Yeah, it's slightly pretentious in its all-out embrace of lounge lizard-ism, but most of the pretense dissipates as it blends into astute performances and truly exceptional songcrafting. Henry isn't faking anything here. He's real. The music is real. And in the surreal reality of pop music today, that makes Henry a goddamn hero in my book.