Another Sleepless Nap: CD
2016 was a busy year for musician Henning. He’d just come off of touring with the band Polaris and it was time to release some new material. The band he plays lead guitar in, The Fawns, put out a record. His band, Gentle Hen, put out a new record of his songs. His alter ego, Turkey Andersen, released an EP of new family friendly songs. He produced
2016 was a busy year for musician Henning. He’d just come off of touring with the band Polaris and it was time to release some new material. The band he plays lead guitar in, The Fawns, put out a record. His band, Gentle Hen, put out a new record of his songs. His alter ego, Turkey Andersen, released an EP of new family friendly songs. He produced and recorded a new album by Ray Mason. He released a single written about and for comedian Emo Philips. And finally, he released a new collection of songs under his own name.
Another Sleepless Nap is his latest in a long line of thoughtful, well-crafted, moving albums. Henning wrote, sang, played all the instruments, recorded, and produced the record. He even did the cover photography.
The nine songs on this record illustrate Henning’s ever maturing songwriting. The lead-off track “Untied States” is like a modern day take on the classic tune America by Simon and Garfunkel. It’s expression of isolation and disenfranchisement in lines like “We let the crazy people steal the conversation pit, there’s money to be made from a nation that’s been split” are countered with feelings of community and hope, “But we’re all in this together facing forward in our chairs, thinking only of mortality while hanging in the air.” It couldn’t have come at a more fitting time and is a soothing balm for this political climate. It was just voted #34 on WRSI’s songs of 2016!This album also provides a home for the much beloved single “Maybe I’m Not Meant to Do Anything Remarkable After All”, which was treated to a year-long multi-video project by local filmmaker Jason Mazzotta.
The other 7 songs on the record roller-coaster between stark piano ballads, poppy synthesizer pieces, and personal acoustic guitar driven numbers. There is no filler here.