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JOE HENRY – "REVERIE"

Joe Henry

"For me writing has almost nothing to do with self expression. It's all about discovery. I don't think I would write a song if it was based on I have this idea and now I need to put it in three verses that rhyme so that people can enjoy it too. I write it to find out and if it serves me, then I sing it." - Joe Henry


Reverie is the twelfth studio album for American songwriter, Joe Henry. But for me, this is the first time – at least knowingly – I've listened to Henry. There's something very comfortable about his music and I was drawn to the character in Henry's voice as well as the characters in his lyrics. As I learned about the process behind the recording of this particular album, that familiarity revealed itself.

Joe recorded Reverie in his home studio with the windows left wide open. As Hal Horowitz writes, "The resulting street sounds of fire engines, dogs barking and traffic moving become as much a part of the fabric of these acoustic but far from laid back sessions as the music itself." As Henry points out, his writing style isn't an reflection on himself, but rather the exploration of different characters. This exploration is apparent as certain songs seem to evolve and take sudden turns, which may surprise the listener and possibly Henry himself.

Reverie is out today and is available to stream at NPR. Listen to "Odetta" below.

– The Music Director