Puerto Angel
1994

Songs:

Adobe Adobe
Get Out The Shovel
Bunt
The One Rose
Sea Of Tranquility
Nunc Pro Tunc
Dark Dear Heart
Look So Good
Muscle Beach
Radio Girl
Coyote Basin
Riff Raff
Puerto Angel

Originally released in 1994 in their native Canada, Puerto Angel is the debut of The Henrys, who have a lot going for them (other than the great name). Like What? Five excellent musicians with molto simpatico and - cover the kiddies' ears if easily offended - mucho taste, alors. The Henrys have a few master strokes, the first being resident composer-in-chief/steel drummer/dobro player and kona virtuoso Don Rooke. Kona? Yep, it's a Hawaiian steel-strung slide guitar with a hollow neck, that just rings and resonates like you wouldn't believe. Some of the tracks accordingly have a Cooder-Kottke feel to them, and good for them - if you're going to be compared to somebody by idiot reviewers looking for points of reference, these guys aren't a bad start. But there's a fair amount of Other Stuff happening on the tracks - the second interesting pont is that for an instrumental band, there's a lot of vocals around, all by guest artists. Michael Dunston growls effectively through a John Hiatt song, and then along comes Mary Margaret O'Hara. It transpires that Rooke has worked with O'Hara before, and she comes along and does her weird vocal thing on three tracks, as well as singing The One Rose absolutely straight - probably the biggest shock of all. And it all works really well. Third, those comparisons above are only valid for some of the album; there are jazzy, bluesy grooves, slow, aching solo pieces, and some unclassifiable tracks that demand being listened to. Good vibes all around. Catch them if they tour - if they're half as good live, they're still well ahead of most. -Folk Roots Magazine, U.K., review by Ian Kearey, December 1995 ========= A classic album made for introspective moments. -Roots & Reggae, U.K, November 1995 ==================== My number one album of 1994. Under the fluid, guiding hands of Don Rooke - who plays kona, dobro, lap steel and steel drums - The Henrys move effortlessly through stirring country ballads with [singer] Mary Margaret O'Hara ("The One Rose", "Dark Dear Heart"), lonesome desert laments ("Look So Good," "Coyote Basin") and jazz ("Bunt"). The dexterous Henrys take it all in stride and listeners will revel in their musical diversity. This second release covers tons of rootsy material and does it so very, very well." -Ottawa Express, review by Joe Reilly