Locked Doors and Pretty Fences
Locked Doors and Pretty Fences is kind of a throwback to the days when a vinyl LP had two distinctly different yet somehow matching sides. It’s also a marvelous collection of organic music that draws water from the wells of folk, rock, gospel, blues and originality and pours it over an all-star cast of performers that allows the album to blossom into one of the most pleasant surprises of the year thus far. If a song can be judged by subtle lyrics that jump out and grab you even though you are completely drawn in by the music than Joel Henderson has to stand up and take his place in the discussion about really good songwriters. This is good folks, and it deserves some legitimate attention.
“Side 1” is the heavier side. Surrounded by introspection and self-inflicted sadness or as Henderson himself admits: “… the barriers along the path to maturity. Sometimes the obstacles are obvious, sometimes they’re not. If we’re really honest with ourselves, they’re usually self-created out of fear or complacency.” The topics are well documented if not forever thirsting for a new take. “Curves” takes a soft but stark look at women, self-esteem and self-empowerment; particularly poignant during a time when women’s rights are under attack from power hungry old men 
with fancy titles like Senator, Congressman or candidate. “…Time to flush the demons down. In the name of the father who wasn’t around. Then emerge from the water and see the beauty you are. Don’t you know that you’re worth more than the sum of your curves?” That verse just leaps from the speakers along with the haunting harmonies from Heidi Gluck and sticks you right in your ribs. “Heartless Kisses” tackles the never welcome but ever present fading of love. Dancing between Procol Harum and the Eagles with tight harmonies between Henderson and Gluck, a wall of guitars and the sweet spinning of the Leslie from Bill Mallers’ Hammond B3, “Heartless Kisses” is a pop song that draws on the best from the much maligned genre of “Pop Music.” Henderson’s falsetto phrasing will inevitably draw comparisons to Don Henley especially within the context of the Eagles influenced guitar harmonies between David England and Jason Wilber.
What follows the fading of love? “Baby I’m So over You” of course…one of the most told lies in the history of the relationships as we never really are. “Should you find me baby, pacing back and forth. Know I’m goin’ crazy now crazy’s at your door. But I won’t knock, I’m no fool, cuz baby I’m so over you.” Side 1, as I like to call it, ends with “Stranger” and finds Henderson in search of his own identity. “I’m just a stranger in this land, with a one-in-a-million losing hand. What distinguishes me from the righteous man? Is it peace of mind or my foolish plans?” The band shines, the music breathes and the songs sing on multiple levels. Different on a Sunday morning than in the car on a rainy night, Locked Doors and Pretty Fences plays on mood and emotion.
“Side 2” is the redeemer of faith in love as a sacred institution between two people for moments in time, however brief or lengthy those moments may be. “Are We Running” is all about breaking away together, leaving the past behind and doing it with the one you love; the barriers along the path to maturity rearing up again. Henderson steps back into the “boxing ring” that is love on “One Kiss at a Time.” Compartmentalizing is a prerequisite to falling in love again after you’ve had your heart shattered but that uniquely human pain is necessary for any personal growth. One day at time, one step at a time or “One Kiss at a Time,” overcoming obstacles is a process. Hopefully Joel Henderson hasn’t exercised all of the demons yet and saved some for sides 3 and 4.
Grammy voters and radio programmers can struggle with what particular pigeon hole music has to be folded into and we're happy leaving it to them. The Alternate Root has always looked at music from an organic point of view and the more elements and texture music has the better we like it. Sometimes music just doesn’t have to be anything but good. Locked Doors and Pretty Fences is good.
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