Josh Fortenbery Tidy Memorial
I hesitate to make artist comps, because it’s often a lazy way for journalists and publicists to describe a musician, and because it puts unnecessary pressure (or, too often, gives undue credit) to a young songwriter. When listening to Josh Fortenbery’s new album, though, I couldn’t help but think of John Prine. Outwardly, the two men don’t seem to have much in common – Fortenbery lives in Alaska, he’s Jewish, and he’s never (to the best of my knowledge) delivered mail. But his way of songwriting – sharp observations, the ability (and willingness) to needle himself as much as others, and dashes of humor just when needed – is a trait that’s been in short supply over the past five years. Fortenbery’s latest record, Tidy Memorial, is a series of songs written as eulogies – some to things already gone, others with hope of somehow keeping them alive, and one or two that need to be killed off for good.
Fortenbery’s Juneau home requires a DIY approach to music-making that includes trucks, ferries and off-season hotels, ensuring that every recorded word and note is something worthy of the effort. And, unlike last year’s excellent No Such Thing as Forever, which resembled an ice-chilled bluegrass (bluetundra?) album, Tidy Memorial is arranged as more of a country record – drums, pedal steel, and organs all show up. Album opener “Heaven’s Above” establishes a twangy tone – Erik Clampitt’s pedal steel work, here and throughout, is a perfect mood-setter – while Fortenbery pens what he calls “a eulogy for nihilism.” Balancing frustration over virtue-signaling – “Nobody cares like I do, but I’m pretty sure you think that nobody cares like you” – with genuine empathy – “So I will try to be kind and I will share what is mine” – Fortenbery issues a line-by-line critique of our “siloed” way of (non-) critical thinking. It’s an “anti-protest song” protest song, even if he’s not a fan of the genre – “It’s too easy to say ‘put your guns away.’”
Fortenbery excels at pointing out his own shortcomings, and this approach succeeds on Tidy Memorial because so many of the foibles are relatable. “Groundhog,” which features a pretty acoustic intro (Fortenbery plays all the guitars on the record), portrays the kind of inertia that’s exceedingly difficult to break out of – “Think my choices have no meaning, yet I’m filled with regret.” The title track, with Fortenbery’s slightly slurry vocals countered by lovely harmonies from Kennedy Jo Kruchoski, details a relationship that the singer, by his own admission, fumbled away – “And I’m sorry for yesterday/And also tomorrow/And all of your sorrow.” But the two linchpin tracks on Tidy Memorial are the most outward-looking ones. “Steven” is the song that reminded me most of a Prine composition, but it happens to be a story that needed to come from Fortenbery’s pen – that of a homeless man living in Juneau who was shot and killed by police: “Is that life? Is that it?/Something you can take away and say he deserved it?” The other standout is “Poppy’s Waltz,” an uptempo tune about Fortenbery’s grandfather, a World War II vet who loved his country even as he faced virulent antisemitism in the South – “Saying two things can be true at once, I’m angry and I’m proud” – and carried a very different view of Israel than that of his grandson – “But he never talked of consequence or the folks who were forced to leave.” For his grandfather, and for the others in his songs, Fortenbery’s respect for his real-life characters almost always outweighs the differences he has with them. They’re complex, like him, and like most folks are. Luckily, they all have an excellent songwriter to help tell their essential stories.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Poppy’s Waltz” – Poppy liked music, dancing and a good cocktail. I’ll wager he’d enjoy all three while listening to this fiddle- and mandolin-driven tune.
Tidy Memorial was produced by Josh Fortenbery and Justin Smith, recorded by Smith, mixed by Smith and Adam Selzer and mastered by David Glasser. All songs written by Josh Fortenbery. Musicians on the album include Fortenbery (vocals, guitar), Carter Bancroft (fiddle, banjo), Erik Clampitt (pedal steel), Andrew Heist (mandolin, fiddle, harmony vocals), Kennedy Jo Kruchoski (harmony vocals), Kat Moore (Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3), Sam Roberts (bass), Todd Vierra (drums) and Taylor Dallas Vidic (harmony vocals).
Go here to order Tidy Memorial (out October 10): https://joshfortenbery.bandcamp.com/album/no-such-thing-as-forever
Check out tour dates here: https://www.joshfortenbery.com/shows
Enjoy our previous review here: REVIEW: Josh Fortenbery “No Such Thing as Forever”
