Many albums are about a point in time, like any number of the records made during the pandemic. Others are really more about the journey. That’s the case for the latest from Fort Worth’s Jacob Furr. The release is called Turning, and in many ways it’s the third in a set about the pathways that evolved from his wife’s passing 10 years ago.
The album opens with a road song. Not That Bad relates the story of being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a broken down car. But it’s about more than that, and how we deal with what’s right in front of us because, “for now, it’s not that bad.” Another thoughtful composition is One Hour, with a nice turning of phrase when Furr gives us a picture of time when “my love is a snowfall in the desert. Like a number of songs in this collection, there’s a gravitas to the sound. It’s mostly Jacob and his guitar, with the bass and drums for emphasis more than setting the rhythm.
Take Care is in that same tempo, but there’s a little finger snap beat to it as Furr pushes us to nurture our dreams out in the open because “darkness comes within. The album finishes with the title track that also has a nice musical hook. More importantly it seems to turn the page, or close the book, or whatever metaphor you like, on a chapter in Furr’s life when he sings “I’m ready to be ready, I’m not afraid anymore.”
Jacob Furr is a high profile ambassador for the music scene in Fort Worth, advocating and performing for the cause all over the country. That means sometimes his music is taking a back seat to the message he’s passionate to deliver. With Turning, though, there’s good reason to put the message aside and just listen to that music.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.