New Joseph Arthur - "I Wanna Get You Alone"



Joseph Arthur's busy. As we mentioned when taking "Rages Of Babylon" for a spin, 2008's the year of five Joseph Arthur releases. To recount: The Could We Survive EP came out in March, followed by this month's Crazy Rain EP. Then, before we see the full-band, JA & The Lonely Astronauts Temporary People full-length on August 5th, two EPs -- Vagabond Skies and another yet untitled -- enter the world on 5/13 and 6/24. Someone call Robert Pollard! Anyhow, we're getting ahead of JA's release schedule. He's still entrenched in EP the second, which is where you'll find the electro guy and gal flirtations of "I Wanna Get You Alone." We don't mean to be nosy, but how's dude have time for sex?

Joseph Arthur - "I Wanna Get You Alone" (MP3)

The female voice is Jen Turner. Quite a pace change from politically-angled, acoustic and harmonica driven "Rages In Babylon." This is more of a party rager. As you may know, Arthur's also a painter. If you're in the NYC area, he's throwing a party at his gallery (the Museum of Modern Arthur, har har) in Brooklyn in celebration of the release of Crazy Rain. It'll be a solo performance and art exhibition. The deets:

04/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Museum of Modern Arthur (25 Jay Street), 8-11PM

More info here.

The Crazy Rain EP is out 4/15 on Lonely Astronaut.


(from Stereogum)

Joseph Arthur ~ Crazy Rain
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Label: LONELY ASTRONAUT

Here we go again with Mr. Prolific himself, Joseph Arthur. This is the second (after March's Could We Survive) in a planned string of four EPs Arthur will release this year. He'll cap all of those off with the full length All You Need is Nothing in August. And what all exactly are you going to get done this year? Songs like "Radio Euphoria" and "Dream of the Eternal Life" have Arthur continuing to follow his romantic, metaphysical muse.

***

~ John Zeiss
(from Prefix Magazine)

Crazy Rain ~ Joseph Arthur
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Never one to lack confidence in his abilities, Joseph Arthur released a full album's worth of material during the first four months of 2008, collected on the EPs Could We Survive and Crazy Rain (with the promise of more to come, of course). Very similar to the previous year's Let's Just Be, Crazy Rain has up-front productions with buzzing guitars and distorted effects making the largest impression. Arthur's vocal performances are comparatively down in the mix; it's a good blend of production and performance, although Arthur's songwriting apparently isn't keeping up with his musical ideas (evinced by the particularly weak "I Wanna Get You Alone"). The upbeat songs are best, all of them very well recorded and taking advantage of his Lonely Astronaut studio (as well as a returned favor from guest vocalist Greg Dulli).

Track picks: Killer's Knife, Radio Euphoria

by John Bush
(from allmusic)

Joseph Arthur Is Back!

Joseph Arthur has always been a little left of center. Part songwriter, part painter, part spiritual mystic, his interests and insights have come together to produce some pretty dark and beautiful material over the past 10 years or so. With a sound unlike anyone (that I can think of), he’s a true original. As a listener, I’ve had an on-again, off-again (and now on-again) relationship with his music. Redemption’s Son is one of my favorite records from the past decade, and “In the Sun” and “Honey and the Moon” will always be among my absolute favorite songs. He took a bit of a strange path last year, releasing Let’s Just Be with his sometimes-band, the Lonely Astronauts. To me, the album was a mess. Maybe I’m not enlightened or artistic enough to have “gotten” his vision, but the project as a whole was almost unlistenable to my ears.

And now he’s back, on a path to release five EPs in 2008 (yes, 5). The first two are now out - Crazy Rain and Could We Survive. And I’m loving them. The latter will no doubt appeal to fans of Redemption’s Son and 2006’s Nuclear Daydream, displaying Arthur’s softer, almost folksy side. Driven by acoustic guitar, beautiful melodies, and tasteful harmonies, the songs themselves shine through.

Crazy Rain is a more produced project. These tracks sound like a further evolution of his 2004 effort, Our Shadows Will Remain. The songs here are darker, more percussive, and almost industrial-sounding. While that may not sound altogether appealing in its description, Arthur pulls it off without ever overdoing songs that would stand on their own.

To me, Joseph Arthur is a voice that I need. His lyrics, musical vision, and artistic statements don’t always immediately strike me as palatable, but I’m drawn to spend more time with them. Anything of lasting artistic value may not be as easily accessible at the beginning, but you find yourself returning to it again and again, until you realize it’s become a part of who you are.

(from Eric's Musical Sojourn)

From another blog ....

Thursday's Track Reviews
Joseph Arthur - "Nothin 2 Hide";
I'm not understanding what everyone is hearing in Joesph Arthur's music. It's a bit bland and definitely way too similar to a lot of acts out there. I also don't like the number replacing the word "to", but that's not as important as my inability to comprehend people's enjoyment of this music.

(from Pop Tarts Suck Toasted)

"These are two out of four planned EP releases being released mid-month between March and June. Both show more of a return to the production and songwriting approach of Our Shadows Will Remain, the first JA release I listened to. That album is on my desert island list, and I can't see anything supplanting it. It is one of the few recordings that grabbed me from the first listen and hasn't let go. So my standard for new JA releases is pretty high.

The two EPs thus far are much more of a return to the compositional and production approaches of Our Shadows Will Remain, with a palette of drum machine loops, layered guitars and vocals, as well as suprising anolog textures of unknown origin. Could We Survive is a bit more mellow and lyrical in approach, while Crazy Rain has more of a grunge/low-fi texture in several of the songs. My favorite tune to this point is probably Crazy Rain's "Dream of the Eternal Life", but I find most of the tunes especialy on Could We Survive hold up very well to repeat listens and analyses."

Read the complete blog entry at Entering The Noosphere...

Joseph Arthur - Crazy Rain EP

Since I am a big fan of most of the material I hear from Joseph Arthur, you will probably get coverage of all of his releases this year, even though there are loads. Arthur is releasing a new EP every month for 4 months leading up to the release of a full length album, Temporary People, in September, that will also employ his backing band, The Lonely Astronauts.

The first EP was brilliant, and a return to the pure singer/songwriter in Joe that gained him the majority of his fans in the first place, this one is, well, different. While I have to admit I have only listened to it a few times all the way through so far, I have to side with EP #1, Could We Survive, as a personal choice.

The new EP, Crazy Rain, sees JA doing his rock star thing alot more, similar to some songs you heard on his full length from last year, Let’s Just Be. So if tunes like “Cocaine Feet” and “Let’s Just Be” were your thing, than this EP is for you. Either way though, the song I have to share from the new EP is a nice one no matter what style of Arthur you prefer. It is called “Nothin 2 Hide” (not to be confused with “Too Much To Hide” from 2006’s Nuclear Daydream) and features former Afghan Whig and current Gutter Twin Greg Dulli on backing vocals. Download (.... is in the article!)

April 23, 2008
(from Each Note Secure)

JOSEPH ARTHUR
Crazy Rain
(Lonely Astronaut) 2008
songwriter

di Gabriele Benzing

Per il secondo appuntamento della messe di uscite discografiche annunciata per quest’anno, Joseph Arthur cambia ancora una volta scenario con il nuovo Ep “Crazy Rain”. “Quando realizzo un album, tendo a girarci intorno troppo a lungo”, afferma. “Gli Ep, invece, mi tengono in uno spazio limitato, sono come poesie”. Dal folk-pop di “Could We Survive” si passa così ad un suono aspro e tagliente a base di chitarre e drum machine: e anche se il risultato è meno a fuoco rispetto al precedente Ep, Arthur conferma tutta la propria voglia di rischiare e mettersi in gioco.

L’iniziale “Killer’s Knife” detta subito l’atmosfera, con la voce metallica di Arthur a farsi strada tra fragori di chitarra e tastiere wave che sembrano venire direttamente da “Our Shadows Will Remain”. Non a caso, si tratta di un brano presentato sul palco sin dal 2004: ma a differenza di quanto era avvenuto in passato con episodi più o meno coevi come “Chicago” o “You Are Free”, stavolta la resa in studio è ancora più efficace e ricca di sfumature di quella dal vivo. Arthur descrive “Crazy Rain” come un lavoro “quasi techno e meravigliosamente caotico”: in realtà, i ritmi pulsanti e l’incedere ossessivo di “I Wanna Get You Alone” e “I Come Down”, insieme alla voce della chitarrista Jen Turner che accompagna quella del songwriter americano, fanno pensare più che altro al blues sporco e abrasivo dei Kills. La collaborazione con Greg Dulli nella languida e notturna “Nothing 2 Hide” non lascia il segno, mentre “Dream Of The Eternal Life” galleggia su una lunga introduzione dai toni spaziali e la leggerezza del gioco di pianoforte e tastiere di “Radio Euphoria” si spinge non troppo lontano dagli U2 dell’era “Zooropa”. Su tutto prevale però la nudità acustica di “Hunter”, sospesa su un fremente tappeto elettronico, a conferma del fatto che la dimensione solista rimane per Arthur quella capace di incantare più in profondità.

6.5/10

(28/04/2008)

from Onda Rock
http://www.ondarock.it/recensioni/2008_arthur2.htm

Album Reviews » Joseph Arthur » Crazy Rain
Score: 8.6

"Crazy Rain" is the second in a series of EPs in the run up to a release of a full length album later on this year. The first EP in the series was “Could We Survive” and that was more traditional Joseph material. On, “Crazy Rain” there is more work with drum machines and out has come an collection of songs that are a little edgier and a little untraditional to what we have come to expect from Arthur. The first track “Killer's Knife” starts off with a slow acoustic guitar but there is a slight twang in the background. Then immediately Arthur's vocals sound like they are run through a series of distortions. The guitars are buzzing all over the place. “Nothing 2 Hide” is a duet with Greg Dulli of The Gutter Twins fame. Vocally, there is a lot of similarities with Arthur but Dulli is slightly deeper. “I Wanna Get You Alone” is Arthur getting a little funky and silly. We could have done without this one but it does nothing to take away from the overall experience. “Dream of the Eternal Life” turns onto this tippy and psychedelic track that is really busy and swirly.

These last two EPs have shown that Arthur while being incredibly prolific does not let his quality control go down. Arthur even gives us a little switch up on the styles pulling out the drum machines and working away from the traditional songs. These two EPs would make about an albums worth of material of a classic record. He just never seems to slow down.

by John Siwicki
(from ComfortComes)

Joseph Arthur
Crazy Rain EP
Lonely Astronaut, 2008

Rating: 7.7

Joseph Arthur throws his fans a curveball with his latest EP, Crazy Rain. The acclaimed singer/songwriter is putting out four EPs in the run-up to the August release of his latest LP, All You Need Is Nothing. Crazy Rain is the second of the four, after last month’s Could We Survive, and it’s a much different take, as Arthur experiments with techno, distortion, and more.

Rain opens up with its strongest track, “Killer’s Knife”, a dark, distorted echo that introduces the listener to this new side of Joseph Arthur. He follows that up with the more subdued, disco-dark “Nothin 2 Hide”, but the come-on dark “I Wanna Get You Alone” actually plays comedic, with a strong bass line. Meanwhile, strong drumming comes into play with the ethereal and atmospheric “Dream of the Eternal Life”.

Between those last two is the relaxed and knowing “Radio Euphoria”, a real winner. Unfortunately, “I Come Down”, another disco-dark piece, is a little plodding. “Nobody Make It Home” is the EP’s most distorted piece, a cool, distant echo, with rather techno keys. After Crazy Rain’s most different track comes its most ‘regular Arthur’, finisher “Hunter”. But even that quieter, carrying song has a tech-background.

With every EP release, Arthur has thrown a party-cum-show at his new DUMBO art gallery, The Museum of Modern Arthur. Look forward to the next EP, to the next party, to the next Joseph Arthur.

- Ted Chase, Tuesday, 29 April 2008
(from QRO Magazine)

Second EP this year from Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur highlights eight songs done with drum machines and synthesizers, woven into Arthur’s unique brand of folk and rock, infused with a poet’s sensibility. The result is a cool, sultry and sexy set of music, more soulful and funky than just about anything else Arthur has released in the past. A number of the songs have Jen Turner on background vocals or else dueting with him, to great effect, as she’s a perfect complement to his voice, and vice versa. Greg Dulli also contributes guest vocals to “Nothing 2 Hide,” one of the best tracks included here. I liked Could We Survive, the first of four projected EPs from Arthur this year, but I have to say, I love Crazy Rain. I can’t wait to hear Vagabond Skies, the next in this series, due out next month. Standout cuts (though I like all the songs): “Killer’s Knife,” “Nothing 2 Hide,” “Radio Euphoria” and “Hunter.”

(from This Is Just A Modern Rock Blog)

Joseph Arthur: Crazy Rain

2 stars (out of 5)

Like a less prickish Ryan Adams, Joseph Arthur has a skyscraper’s worth of ambition – and the assload of songs to back it up. The eight-song Crazy Rain is his second EP of 2008, with two more to follow, and a full-length LP to cap it all off. If you’re reading all that and feeling a little lazy, don’t feel too bad; although Crazy Rain is heavy on the rock star swagger (check out those retro shades on the cover!), it’s light on…you know…songs. Arthur doles a ladleful of swampy electronics over these tracks, shoves his vocals way down in the mix, and plays host to his pal and fellow indie rock god Greg Dulli on a track; it’s got plenty of attitude and a not-insignificant amount of DIY fizz, but the whole thing just kind of staggers past in a blur. Saying it’s strictly for fans would sort of be beside the point – and even if you hate it, you don’t need to worry, because Arthur’s next EP, titled Vagabond Skies, is due out in less than a month. Throw enough stuff at the walls, and something is bound to stick eventually. (Lonely Astronaut 2008)

(from Eat Sleep Drink Music)

Music Review: Joseph Arthur - Crazy Rain EP
Written by Tan The Man, May 28, 2008

Indie singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur is promoting his music in a less traditional way than previous attempts but also in a less modern way than Radiohead has done. The Akron, Ohio native is deluging the music world with four EPs in anticipation of his next full-length album Temporary People (previously titled All You Need Is Nothing) which will be released September 16, 2008 instead of the originally announced August 5 date.

Crazy Rain is the second EP to be released. It features more of the stylings and rhythms that fans are used to from previous albums of the seemingly ancient musician, while still maintaining the low-key aura from Could We Survive — the first of the four EPs.

The opening track "Killer's Knife" gives the EP a steady jolt, depicting tragedy from many viewpoints while featuring a gritty omniscient attitude: "On the way to mercy / Followed by the dead / On the way to mercy / In the leper's head."

"Nothin 2 Hide" (featuring Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers/Gutter Twins) follows, continuing that earlier tenacity but through stylized down tempo beats. Not to be beaten by himself, Arthur follows with the glam rocking "I Wanna Get You Alone," which carries on the bad boy-demeanor — this time with an erotic edge.

Almost as quickly as he ascended to leather and chains territory did he descend or rather abruptly switched gears back to the Could We Survive province with "Radio Euphoria," whose title could be mistaken for an R.E.M. track and whose sound could be mistaken for a Pete Yorn song. All is not lost, however, with Arthur channeling Trent Reznor in the pseudo-industrial "I Come Down" and utilizing electronica synth in "Nobody Make It Home."

I mentioned before that it would be interesting to heard a more complete hybridization of the two Arthur sounds and Crazy Rain seems to be the closest effort. Even the more mellow tracks explored the kind of imagery reserved for childhood nightmares, teen slasher movies, or the occasional glimpses into the true human condition; so in reality Rain is more of a contrast to Survive than one might think. The final two EPs are going to be interesting listens.

(from Blogcritics)

Joseph Arthur - Crazy Rain
article écrit par Christophe Leiciagueçahar, le 22 mai 2008

En rugby, un des gestes les plus difficiles à accomplir est aussi un des plus beaux à admirer : le cadrage/débordement, cette technique qui donne à voir un joueur généralement véloce imprimer une direction à sa course, et au moment exact où son adversaire s’apprête à le stopper net, prendre une orientation tout autre en une fraction de seconde. Joseph Arthur est le maître incontesté du cadrage/débordement musical. A double titre. C’est d’abord quand il sort de la voie toute tracée de la routine album/tournée, pour produire une quantité impressionnante d’EP, qu’il est le plus fascinant. Ensuite, par son appétence pour le folk défiguré. Il nous avait prévenus, le successeur de l’impeccable Could We Survive serait « techno et chaotique », malgré tout ce Crazy Rain tortueux et malade nous cueille sèchement avec ses chansons toujours solidement ancrées dans leurs fondamentaux, mais abîmées par un traitement électronique inquiétant. Le divin chanteur d’Akron propose en effet huit titres gluants qui le voient maltraiter sa voix si unique, torturant ses mélodies (toujours exceptionnelles) à grands coups de rythmiques saturées, de guitares malaxées et de nappages synthétiques orageux. Sans verser dans l’expérimentation sonore à tout crin, ce qu’il s’est échiné à créer sur ses récentes livraisons parfois ampoulées (à l’exception notable du délicieux Nuclear Daydream) semble prendre forme ici. Il canalise enfin ses idées débordantes, sait s’arrêter à une option, lui donner forme, et surtout y mettre un point final au moment opportun. Crazy Rain se révèle dès lors comme un EP majeur de sa discographie pléthorique, un nouveau virage prometteur, et les huit titres qui le composent autant de chansons magistrales. Notre impatience s’en trouve décuplée quant à l’arrivée des deux prochains volets et surtout du septième album de Joseph Arthur, album que l’on pressent grand.

A suivre : Vagabond Skies...

(from Pinkushion)

Crazy Reign
Could We Survive 4/10
Crazy Rain 2/10

Believe it or not, “complete creative control” can be a very bad thing.

When Joseph Arthur started out his career in the late-’90s, he was an alt-folk troubadour who wasn’t afraid to rock out on occasion. Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt that it was Peter Gabriel who stumbled upon his demo and helped in getting the young lad signed. But Arthur’s output since has been nothing but prolific: six full-length albums, 11 EPs, and that whole “Museum of Modern Arthur” thing. After playing the label game for awhile, Arthur ultimately found happiness in starting up his own label (Lonely Astronaut), working on his paintings as well as recording dozens upon dozens of songs, most of which remain unreleased to this day. Having cultivated a loyal following, Arthur is now able to make his own music at his own rapid-fire pace, all with—that’s right—complete creative control.

Unfortunately for him, such control does not equal focus.

Could We Survive and Crazy Rain are the first two EPs in a set of four that Arthur has released as a lead-up to his seventh full-length album, Temporary People, due later this year. He’s pulled off this multi-EP stunt before, with 2002’s Junkyard Hearts quadrilogy, but at the end of the day, 2008’s go-round is nothing to write home about. While Could We Survive is labeled as Arthur’s “traditional"-sounding EP and Crazy Rain serves as the wannabe dance disc, both remain remarkably hookless, thankless pop affairs.

Of the two, the shorter Could We Survive fares better. It remains firmly rooted in the glistening folk-pop of his past, and though it doesn’t reach the spectacular heights of, say, “Honey & the Moon”, it is by far the more effortless of the two. “Shadows of Lies”—despite its terrible title—is thoroughly enjoyable streamlined pop, with acoustic guitars fluttering around simple keyboard patterns and Arthur’s multi-tracked voice. The mellow, sweet ballad “Morning Cup” remains the highlight, as it proves to be delicate without being too precious, rounded out by percolating piano lines and an off-kilter sense of (much-needed) whimsy. The rest of the disc, however, can be faulted for being too accessible. “King of the Pavement,” a track that would’ve been a passable song (or at least B-side) in any artist’s discography, is polished of all edge. Arthur’s disaffected crooning is lost amidst his addiction to vocal reverb. Though Arthur’s a good producer, he’s almost too good, often forgetting that just a twinge of grittiness at least shows that there’s a passionate soul at work, instead of well-oiled song machine…

… which, as Crazy Rain evidences, is almost exactly what he’s become. Despite this eight-track affair’s obsessions with drum machines and electronics, Rain is an absolute buffet of indulgence, with Arthur blindly convincing himself that he’s the master of any and all genres. “I Wanna Get You Alone” is perhaps the most glaring fault, as over a gritty bassline and throbbing beat, Arthur repeats the title for a seemingly-endless minute before launching into barely-decipherable falsetto crooning, all making for a remarkably grating experience. The spacey “Dream of the Eternal Life” is filled with generic mid-tempo harmonies and surprisingly pedestrian lyrics. “Nothin 2 Hide”, meanwhile, rolls along in a druggy haze, unsure of its melody or even its purpose, which ultimately describes the entirety of Crazy Rain. For all its attempted neon bravura, Crazy Rain feels drained of all color.

Of course, it’s hard to fault Arthur for contracting Robert Pollard Syndrome, as there are some genuine gems within the fray. In the end, though, it just might be best for Arthur to get his genre-hopping out of his system. Once he’s burned himself out, all he’ll have to return to are the simple joys that got him here in the first place.

(from PopMatters)