Emboldened by their three previous successes, Jo Henley have come up with a fine, smooth collection of 12 tracks that move with a seamless energy. Pleasant earthy roots music shine under the command of this three piece band and their guest players. Jo Henley is essentially lead singer and rhythm guitarist Andy Campolieto, lead guitarist, banjo and dobra player Ben Lee, and drummer-keyboardist Mike Dingley. Guests include bass player Tony Markellis from Trey Anastasio Band.
Opening track “It Can’t Rain All The Time” chugs right in with a beefy rhythm section and feisty guitar lines. Campolieto expresses his inner voice with an even handed vocal projection. He just puts its out there without fanfare and lets his voice slide into home base. There’s a mellow glow cast over the sonic structure of the musicianship with this vocalist’s gentle, easeful flow.
Roots acoustic melodies and a lilting rhythmic groove make “You And Me” glide by like a warm summer breeze. It’s good to hear music that has so much substance but doesn’t beat the listener over the head with its musical density. Campolieto makes even more of his easeful vocal style singing over light peppering of country piano lines and mellow acoustic guitar strumming. It could best be compared to early Grateful Dead classic like Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty in its complex structure and mellow performance.
“Nothing Lasts Forever” creates a climbing sensation, feeling like a muscular uphill march in its springy rhythm section. This makes you feel the song is taking you to a significant destination. It’s up-tempo section has a sprightly bounce in its groove and a chirpiness in the lead vocal and expression in the lead guitar, a phrase that speaks of positive vibes and good times gone by. It’s hard to pinpoint one single thing upon first listening to know what makes this song work. It’s the overall presentation of movement, climbing toward a narrative arc then becoming celebratory and festive. Jo Henley band just know how to take you there.
Campolieto becomes much more philosophical with his lyrical descriptions in “Never Can See The Sun.” He sings of missing out on great natural beauty that’s right in front of you. His chirpy timbre sounds fantastic without as much hard-charging music as his other tunes. There is a handsome acoustic lead guitar melody doing a sweet dance with a playful percussion groove. Drummer Mike Dingley milks every nuance out of his skins, and each piece comes alive with three-dimensional fullness.
“Better Off With Him” grooves along merrily with Dingley’s mellifluous organ melody. Campolieto offers heartfelt insight into a tepid relationship by comparing himself to the woman’s favorite movie star. His even-tempered vocal projections belie the seriousness of their nowhere relationship, and he finesses his vocal lines with folksy charm. A dripping guitar line tap dances around and takes the whole matter to a higher level of emotionalism.
Instrumental “Big City” bubbles up with dollops of sweet bass and amicable guitars conversing. Guest violinist Robert Dean chimes in majestically with a melodic line that shines on its own while shining ever brighter against whatever else is going on when he comes in. A piano tinkles with sprightly roots charm. A banjo plucks its timeless earthy tone. There is just so much feeling in this piece, like many of the greatest classical works. Each instrument has a personality and the person playing it has so much character that you feel a large group of people are moving around doing something amazing.
The country roots beat of “I’m Gonna Find It” has that shuffling sensation that makes the toes tap, the head bob, and the girls line dance. The roots styling makes this come alive with feisty spirit, honky tonk guitar riffs and Campolieto applying a country sensibility to his vocal expressions, especially in the open spaces he chooses to jump into. This one will make you feel like going to a country hoedown and grabbing a beer while your girl lets her hair down the dance floor.
The lead guitar line on “I Used To Be Young” speaks to the listener as much as the lead vocal. As Campolieto grooves mellow espousing his view of youth from a grown man’s perspective, Ben Lee presses out soulful, drawling melodic lines that make you feel what the song is about. An unusually sensitive player, Lee knows exactly what the song needs, and he supplies it with tasteful, tender restraint. His melodic phrase skates over the sonic landscape of the song perfectly.
Title track “The Fall Comes Early” comes in like a haunting ballad on the strength of some hearty guitar notes, notes that ring out with solid tones. Campolieto is at his most emotive, slowly but assertively crooning out this tender song over those moody guitar lines. There are some clever touches that give this song plenty of kick within its down tempo frame. One electric guitar jangles as another pays out a tempered phrase. An organ shimmers moodily in the backdrop and the rhythm section add enough gritty touches to build a hefty backbone for a song that walks softly but casts a huge shadow.
Jo Henley pick up the pace with a mid-tempo rocker called “Once Upon A Time.” The rhythm section is cruising and bopping along with an even pace that allows the organ to coat everything with its soulful timbre. The lead guitar constantly presses out a gritty phrase that jumps into action on the bridge, unleashing a bit more edge, like the turning point in a close game when you realize you’ve finally made it. Campolieto makes his way through the personal anthem of the chorus with a gentlemanly aplomb.
Jo Henley close out their album with an instrumental version of “Amazing Grace,” a timeless choir song that sounds interesting in this ringing, almost jangling electric guitar performance. The guitar takes its time unfolding its series of notes and tones, and it’s a pleasing finish to a very pleasant CD.
Jo Henley have come up with an interesting album their fourth time around the recording studio. Tender ballads, alt-country, roots rock are just a few of the key ingredients on The Fall Comes Early. Pristine instruments and vocals moving seamlessly forward keep the listener glued to this CD from opening to closing notes.