Jacob Furr
Photo: Carley Du Menil
Profound shifts in the course of a life do not always manifest in large ways. For vivid evidence of this fact, consider Jacob Furr’s superb new record, Turning.
The eight-song LP is the Fort Worth singer-songwriter’s first full-length effort in seven years, part of a period of time during which he wrestled with the untimely 2013 passing of his wife, Christina.
Her death was the catalyst for Furr’s journey through the valleys of grief, deep into himself. Along the way, he poured his emotions into song, first on 2014’s Trails & Traces, then on 2016’s Sierra Madre.
Now, with Turning, which Furr recorded in a single sitting at Fort Worth’s Cloudland Studios with Britt Robisheaux engineering and drummer Clint Kirby contributing, a loop is closed, a life is re-oriented, and as he sings on the poignant title track, Furr is “ready to be ready.”
Gorgeous, sensitively rendered and richly detailed, Turning is a masterful work whose polish betrays its messy, raw origins.
“It’s such a simple, little song,” Furr said of “Turning” during a recent conversation. “It just came out and just fell out. I was like, ‘This is the happiest thing that I’ve ever written in my entire life. This is pretty wild that, OK, I guess this is what is inside of me.’ That’s what I’ve loved about songwriting is that inner exploration of yourself.”
Furr will celebrate Turning’s release Friday with a sold-out show at the Post in Fort Worth. He’s also streaming the album ahead of its release on the Amplify 817 platform, of which he’s been a frequent, vocal champion.
What’s most surprising to Furr, a decade on from a turn he never anticipated his life would take, is how his life and his art both gave way to chance.
“It all started in an unexpected way, falling in love and getting married to [Christina] in the first place was not what I thought I was going to be doing,” Furr said. “It all just sort of took off, and I was just on this ride. It was a really beautiful ride. Then [she] passed away, which obviously was completely unexpected. …
“I think it’s just the way life goes — I just roll with the punches, whatever comes along. You learn to hold all of it together at the same time, and you learn to be happy with the unexpected bad things and take life as it comes along to you.”
Jacob Furr at the Post, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Sept. 1. Sold out.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
