Twice was the charm for Every Man Should Know, Harry Connick Jr’s
latest release. The first pass didn’t
leave much of an impression on me, and in fact I found it to be a little
snoozy. But the second listen revealed
EMSK as a subtler pleasure, as Connick switches moods and styles pretty
effortlessly. He begins with the title
track, and to me it’s a shaky and pretty sappy opener, as Connick reflects on
what a man should be to a woman. The
next three songs are much sharper, as Connick goes from lusty (One Fine Thing”)
to blissful (“I Love Her) to penning a tune that may become a wedding staple (“Greatest
Love Story”).
The middle
of the album is solid, as the mood shifts again from slightly desperate longing
(“Come See About Me”) to the complete
opposite (the gleeful solitude of “Being Alone”). Connick gets supportive with a gospel choir
in “You’ve Got It”, and then follows the best track, “Let Me Stay”, which is a
beautiful love song featuring great interplay between Connick and many
instruments.
Every Man
Should Know doesn’t finish well, though.
I wasn’t quite feeling the more gospel-ish “S’pposed To Be”, and “Time
To Go” is a downright puzzling choice to close.
“Time To Go” is told from the point of view of an aging performer whose
days are long behind. Connick has the audience in this song
practically booing said performer (who is, incidentally, living out of his car) off the stage. It’s an utter downer of a song and leaves a
pretty bad taste. Despite the last
track, though, “Every Man Should Know” is an interesting listen.
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