Joseph Arthur

Idiosyncratic singer-songwriter and painter Joseph Arthur has always been something of an enigma. First, there's his music: haunting and utterly nocturnal gravel-voiced hymns to desolation, lushly presented with eclectic beats, electronic loops and multiple tracks of his own voice. Most of this is played by Arthur himself, both live and...

By John Nova Lomax

August 9, 2011

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Idiosyncratic singer-songwriter and painter Joseph Arthur has always been something of an enigma. First, there's his music: haunting and utterly nocturnal gravel-voiced hymns to desolation, lushly presented with eclectic beats, electronic loops and multiple tracks of his own voice. Most of this is played by Arthur himself, both live and in the studio, and once you hear him, you'll always recognize his new stuff. What's more, Arthur is not just a high-tech one-man band; he's always been more like a one-man record company. Not only does he make most of the music and write all of the lyrics, but he also comes up with the packaging and artwork. Joseph Arthur albums are Joseph Arthur albums in every mode of perception. And then there's the wide gulf between his critical and commercial acclaim: Although he was discovered by Peter Gabriel and released three albums on the megastar's Real World label to the highest critical hosannas, mainstream success has eluded him.

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