Kindness of the World
Seven years after his first album, singer and songwriter Joe Henry finally hit his stride. His second album for Mammoth, released in 1993, appeared at an auspicious time for alternative country's "no depression" resurgence. The Bottle Rockets released theirdebut, Uncle Tupelo offered their swan songAnodyne, Blue Mountain formed, and growing interest in the Jayhawks' masterpieceHollywood Town Hallhelped build the genre's audience.Kindness of the Worldclearly belongs in this class. Henry's delivery suggests Dylan's country voice of the late '60s, a nasal but supple twang, and his songwriting--never keener than on the title cut (featuring airy harmony from Victoria Williams) or on the surging, fuzz-guitar driven "Dead to the World"--also pays a debt to that artist. The Jayhawks' Gary Louris and Marc Perlman back Henry, suffusing the whole with rock & roll body and country soul.--Roy Francis Kasten