Watch Jake Xerxes Fussell’s Homebrew Concert for WNYC Soundcheck.
“It’s his most bittersweet album, with a melancholy lingering in each song, no matter its subject matter. Even “Frolic,” with its crisp Telecaster notes, thick brushstrokes of pedal steel, and choo-choo “vocables,” sounds forlorn, or at least caught up in some daydream; it’s less about running and skipping and more about our memories of childlike abandon, when we had no burdens upon our shoulders. Fussell thrives in this setting, not just because his voice carries such sadness gracefully but because he sounds like he’s responding to the present moment.” – Pitchfork
“Fussell doesn’t treat his sources like holy writ or museum pieces; in his expert hands, they feel full of life, conversational, and fully absorbing.” — Aquarium Drunkard
“On his fourth album, ‘Good and Green Again,’ Fussell and the producer James Elkington avoid a period pose, casting songs in lush arrangements that belong to the modern indie landscape.” — The New Yorker
Interweaving unearthed folkloric artifacts with a personally emotive touch, Jake Xerxes Fussell produces a unique sound that brings “rich, subtle shadings to these reconstructed songs, achieving a melancholy clarity and modern-day resonance in music first conceived centuries ago” (Aquarium Drunkard). Fussell takes a seat and picks up an acoustic guitar, transporting us to a cozy Carrboro, North Carolina living room for a Friday morning performance of “Love Farewell” and “The Golden Willow Tree” from Good and Green Again. Recorded for an episode of WNYC Soundcheck, the performance is accompanied by an interview with Fussell by Soundcheck’s host, John Schaefer.
Fussell is currently on tour with The Magnetic Fields, concluding on April 27th in Los Angeles, CA. In May, he will set off for his EU and UK solo tour in support of Good and Green Again. A full list of upcoming dates are below, and tickets are on sale now.
$9.00 – $29.00
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9/10, Album of the Month. Good and Green Again is his most thoughtful, his most eloquent, and his most poignant explication of the idea … [that] for him a song is no older than the last time it was sung.
– Uncut
The leading interpreter of American folk music right now … a really richly arranged, fantastic record.
– NPR Music’s All Songs Considered
On his fourth album, Good and Green Again, Fussell and the producer James Elkington avoid a period pose, casting songs in lush arrangements that belong to the modern indie landscape… The most dramatic shift is emotional… A creature of his own time, Fussell sounds unfailingly downcast.
– The New Yorker
4 stars; lead Filter review. Fussell’s the sort of folk singer who makes an art of picking the richest songs, honoring their cultural and historical contexts, and making something new and idiosyncratic out of them. He has the charm of the best bar raconteur, a storyteller who can sell fantastical yarns in a companionable way.
– MOJO
His most poignant album.
– The Guardian
For his fourth and latest album, Good and Green Again, Fussell worked with James Elkington to bring rich, subtle shadings to these reconstructed songs, achieving a melancholy clarity and modern-day resonance in music first conceived centuries ago.
– Aquarium Drunkard
[‘Love Farewell’ is] a heartbreaking song of love during war time that Fussell reinterprets and refreshes masterfully, his tender vocals and acoustic guitar turning the minimal source material into something rich and beautiful.
— NPR Music
4 stars. A cohesive, brilliant collection… [of] breathtaking, empathic power.
– Record Collector Magazine
Roundly among Fussell’s most inquiring albums to date. With songs soaked in hurt and hubris, there’s a melancholy that matches the age we occupy. Here, as always, Fussell uses his curatorial skills to reflect the uncertainty, the anguish, and the unease of our times through antique notions and contemporary cloths alike.
– Raven Sings the Blues
A work of lush folk, gorgeous orchestration and rich lyrical imagery,
– Brooklyn Vegan
Another spell-binding album from the inimitable Jake Xerxes Fussell.
– Folk Radio UK
Equal parts earthy and ethereal, melancholic and hopeful, its nine songs also deliver several career superlatives for the Durham-based folk song interpreter, guitarist, and singer.
– INDY Week
4.5 stars. 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.
– AllMusic
- Deluxe LP edition features 140g virgin vinyl; heavy-duty board jacket with song sources, credits, & artwork by Art Rosenbaum; & high-res Bandcamp download code.
- CD edition features gatefold jacket with LP replica art.
- All preorders include an immediate 320k MP3 download of lead single “Love Farewell” (featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy)
- RIYL: Bob Dylan, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Ry Cooder, Bill Frisell, Dave Van Ronk, Michael Chapman, Jim Dickinson, Michael Hurley, The Youngbloods, Raccoon Records, James Elkington, Nathan Salsburg, William Tyler, Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Jake Xerxes Fussell 2022 Tour Dates
Get those tickets now.
Sun. May 1 – Kilkenny, IE @ Kilkenny Roots
Mon. May 2 – Kilkenny, IE @ Kilkenny Roots
Tue. May 3 – Dublin, IE @ Bello Bar
Wed. May 4 – Belfast, UK @ Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Fri. May 6 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s
Sat. May 7 – London, UK @ Oslo
Sun. May 8 – Glasgow, UK @ Glad Cafe
Mon. May 9 – York, UK @ Fulford Arms
Wed. May 11 – Ultrecht, NL @ Tivoli (Club Nine)
Thu. May 12 – Antwerp, BE @ Het Bos
Fri. May 13 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Sat. May 14 – Cologne, DE @ King Georg
Mon. May 16 – Hamburg, DE @ Aalhaus
Tue. May 17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
