Originally
published in Skyscraper
Our Shadows Will Remains marks Joseph Arthur's departure from Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, but not from the distinctive lyricism that has won him the respect of fans and critics alike. Lovely songs like the stately, downbeat “ Echo Park” effectively incorporate strings played by the City of Prague Philharmonic. "Wasted" could be a cover from Bryan Ferry’s catalog, from the lazy, sexy tune and its echoey, eerie effects to Arthur's spot-on replication of Ferry's lilting vocals. Songs initially glossed over grow on you later: "Devil's Broom" with its delicate yet slinky bassline eventually proves one of the album's better tracks. Naturally, Arthur’s characteristic melancholia takes center stage. "Failed" particularly utilizes subtle electronics and a steady, deadly beat to hone a supremely downcast tone. “Puppets," too, with its driving falsetto drama seems alternately desperate and casually horrific, as Arthur sings “I cut myself, but no blood came, and no one helped.” Mainly, though, he wants to "get away from everybody else." He even ends the disk with “Leave Us Alone.” At least that’s an “us” and not just a “me.” Come to think: Although he's used backup vocalists on earlier efforts, Arthur’s songs often seem like such expressions of loneliness. It's encouraging then when Arthur actually duets with Julia Darling on "A Smile that Explodes." That’s the sort of growth we all depend upon.
Official
site
Robert Stribley |
