Our Shadows Will Remain

by

Joseph Arthur

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Joseph Arthur was "discovered" by Peter Gabriel, who signed him originally on his Real World label, and you can hear some of Gabriel's influence in Arthur's work. I haven't heard the previous albums, but after getting acquiainted with this release, I do intend to seek them out. Arthur is an accomplished artist (in more than one sense of the word - his slightly disturbing primitive-aboriginal style art graces the cover and booklet) with a diverse musical palette, from crunchy alternative-style rock to beautful ballads. "Can't Exist" falls into the former category, a harrowing yet melodic tune about a dysfunctional family member, strung out and on the street, that may hit listeners like me as close to home. "Echo Park" is a simply gorgeous love song, complete with vocal harmony and strings. "Even Tho" is a catchy, even single-worthy, R&B-flavored tune. These are the highlights of a generally satisfying CD that contains smartly-written lyrics and intriguing, ear-catching instrumentation. It made many critics' and listeners' best-of-2004 lists, and rightly so. It is one of the most interesting and enjoyable CD's of the last year.

I suspect I'd enjoy this album better if I hadn't seen Joseph perform most of these songs live in a much more stripped down haunting manner. "Can't Exist" is the most obvious casualty of the overproduction here, making it for me at least almost unlistenable. There is just something a bit too slick about how this album was produced as if someone was afraid of how stark the material is so they decided to sweeten it. "I Am" is another one that worked quite beautifully live and seems almost hokey on the album, which is a shame as it is almost Beckettian in its clarity. Still some great songs but too much gloss.