NOW on to album number four, Joseph Arthur has garnered critical acclaim but still remains one of music's best-kept secrets.
He follows up 2002's Redemption Son with his strongest album yet. If at first the songs can seem diffuse or difficult, repeated playing reveals enticing layers of music and meaning.
This is private, seemingly inhibited music that manages to burst out of its introverted boundaries. A typical Arthur song, such as the stand-out Even Thou, rises from the gloomy shadows to become life-affirming and joyous.
Hard to categorise, Arthur plays what may be termed grunge folk-rock, mixing bursts of noise with finely spun things of beauty, such as Echo Park and A Smile That Explodes. He truly is worth discovering.
Updated: 08:57 Thursday, July 21, 2005
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