With a rap sheet like Joe Henry, orchestrating fiercely intelligent, multi-genre snippets of songwriting from his home recording studio/bunker in rural California when he’s not producing albums by Elvis Costello or Solomon Burke, it’s pretty difficult to predict the direction of Blood From The Stars. So let’s save ourselves the hassle and not bother, because it doesn’t take too long to determine this is a sprawling album of eclecticism, taking in dry country stylings and jazzier flavours without prejudice and wrapping it all up in his warm production. The assembled cast is a mixture of longtime collaborators and new faces, most notably Henry’s 17 year-old son, Levon. A rising star in his own right, Levon’s soprano saxophone weaves around his father’s compositions with elegance, making every note and squeal count. My own father recites jokes he heard the week before on My Name Is Earl and walks down the garden path every morning to grab the paper in his underwear … we should all be as lucky as young Levon.

MITCH ALEXANDER

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