On the finale of
Jake Xerxes Fussell's fourth album, he builds an entire song around the anonymous inscription on an antique hooked rug: "General Washington, noblest of men, his house, his horse, his cherry tree, and him." Fans of his previous albums will no doubt see this as a move of particularly
Fussellian character. The laid-back singer, guitarist, and folk music scholar from Durham, North Carolina has a knack for uncovering obscure material and interpreting it with an ever-mingling sense of casual warmth and mirth. His approach remains refreshingly devoid of the authenticist pageantry and manufactured grit that all too often plagues Americana's deep divers. In fact, he's proven himself to be quite adventurous, working with inspired collaborators who occupy a similar liminal mindset of historical inspiration and contemporary experimentation. On
Good and Green Again, he cedes production duties to British singer/songwriter
James Elkington and works with a cast of both returning players (
Libby Rodenbough, Casey Toll) and a few fresh recruits (
Bonnie "Prince" Billy,
Joe Westerlund). The gentle march of opener "Love Farewell" is punctuated by some foot taps and eerie treated piano with
Billy's high tenor sprinkled lightly over
Fussell's own affable drawl. As usual, his vocal timing is its own unique instrument, making his nine-minute reading of the maritime ballad, "The Golden Willow Tree," pass all too quickly. For his part,
Elkington applies some very effective, though subtle arrangements to
Fussell's otherwise straightforward guitar and vocal approach. Until now,
Fussell's albums have consisted solely of adapted traditional material, but with this set, he offers up the first original songs of his career. Of those four tracks, three are instrumentals and are among the album's best, particularly "In Florida" and the sweetly grooving "Frolic." There's something special about
Fussell's music that is both transporting and deeply relaxing. Listening to
Good and Green Again is like visiting a warm little den where the songs of yesteryear spend an easy hour catching up on the news of the present. His is a peculiar gift, but one he's learned how to use to great effect. ~ Timothy Monger