[rating=3.50]
Jesse Harris knows a thing or two about bringing jazzy nuance and moody atmospherics to pop music. For nearly two decades, he’s been lending his eloquent guitar and Grammy-winning songwriting skills to music luminaries like Norah Jones, Bright Eyes, Solomon Burke, and Madeleine Peyroux, most notably on Jones’ entire catalog and Lisa Loeb’s successful 1995 album Tails. The prolific Harris also boasts a diverse and affecting group of solo records, and the latest, Through the Night, is a deceptively dense experience. Appropriately titled, the record is distinctly flavored for consumption after dark, and it’s full of melodies and vocals that nicely evoke the wee hours.
At first listen, the opening duo of "Put It Out of Your Mind" and "Till You Drop" are pleasant, but not acutely engaging songs. Deeper into the record, though, Harris’ sublime gift for understated lyrics and his knack for shaping sound combine to create an experience that is supremely satisfying, and the effect is retroactive. The rolling waves of guitar that propel "Pixote" are enough to warrant further investigation into this album, and it’s a breezy listen that will last more than a couple of spins. Harris’ voice is certainly lovable, with a flash of Nick Drake here, a hint of James Taylor there, and the kind of arresting appeal found among modern day songsmiths like Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Ray Lamontagne, and the like.
The title track reveals even more of Harris’ traits. Vaguely exotic guitar, swelling horns, and dreamy vocals bring the listener a bit of the Bahamian atmosphere in which the album was recorded. Each song boasts a unique musical or vocal characteristic that allows it to stand apart, like the gently primordial percussion in "It’s A Long Way Just to Say Hello," the slow-cooked white-boy Wurlitzer-and-horn soul of "All That Happened," and the clever bossa nova style of "All Day All Night." The punchy, John Scofield-like guitar lines in "Making Up For Lost Time" even give listeners a glimpse into Harris’ jazz and funk background. Conversely, there’s lazy pop perfection on "What Am I Doing Out Here" and resolutely subdued rock on "Trees in A Fence," showcasing an even wider variety of styles.
Through the Night is heartfelt and unassuming, full of languid tunes, entertaining instrumentation and mellow mid-tempo magic. It’s not a record that is going to make the blogosphere buzz-meter go through the roof, but those who hear it might find a sleeper favorite of the year to add to their list. For a record so focused on the night, the experience of listening is like waking up to Harris’ luminous songwriting talent.
