Joseph Arthur - Diamond Ring
Published Wednesday, 1st August, 2007 at 2:31 PM

Ohio singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur is readying his seventh album, Let's Just Be, for a UK release next month and as usual, there will also be a new single to coincide.

The LP has been available in the US since April, but only now is his UK fan-base getting to hear the new material, which Arthur recorded with his band The Lonely Astronauts.

This single - due on September 3rd by 14th Floor (home to Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne etc) - is entitled Diamond Ring and this link is for the accompanying video. (~ see article for video link ~)

(from AngryApe)

Joseph Arthur - Slide Away
Joseph Arthur gets set to release two albums on September 3, but you can check out two tracks from the albums today at Room Thirteen!

Joseph Arthur's solo album 'Nuclear Daydream' was released to rave reviews last year over in the states, but ahead of the UK release of the record, you can check out the video for 'Slide Away', one of the tracks to be found on this 12 track stunner.

If that wasn't enough, you can also check out the video for 'Diamond Ring' from Joseph Arthur's latest album 'Let's Just Be', recorded with his band The Lonely Astronauts.

Both albums will be released in the UK on September 3.

(from RoomThirteen.com)

Joseph Arthur - Diamond Ring & Slide Away - Video

Joseph Arthur will release 2 new albums, through 14th Floor Records on 3 September. Check out these two videos, Diamond Ring & Slide Away.

Yes, albums plural: Joseph will release his solo album 'Nuclear Daydream', which was released in the US late last year to rave reviews, as well as 'Let's Just Be', recorded with his band The Lonely Astronauts. Joseph Arthur will simultaneously release two new albums, Nuclear Daydream and Let's Just Be, in the UK on September 3 through 14th Floor Records. The albums will be preceded by the release of a single 'Enough To Get Away', taken from Nuclear Daydream, on August 27.

Nuclear Daydream is Arthur's fifth full-length album, a lushly composed collection of 12 original and epic songs of romance and despair, from one of the world's most prolific artists. The album was released in the US late last year to widespread acclaim. Vanity Fair described the album as "a glorious work of art", while Entertainment Weekly called it "an epic tale of romantic loss that is haunting, mournful, and ultimately hopeful."

Let's Just Be was written immediately after Arthur's last tour with his new band The Lonely Astronauts - Kraig Jarret Jonson (Golden Smog, The Jayhawks), Jennifer Turner (Natalie Merchant), Greg Wieczorek (Twilight Singers) and Sibyl Buck (Champion Of Sound). Filled with ideas, the band found themselves entrenched in a Los Angeles studio for three weeks, where it is rumoured that such was the level of inspired creativity during the sessions that well over 80 tracks were recorded. "The idea for us was to record all of these new songs straight to tape using only 16 tracks with no reverb, sort of a back to basics like how the Stones or Neil Young used to record," says Arthur.

Joseph Arthur was born in Akron, Ohio, became a song-writing obsessive in Atlanta, Georgia, and later moved to New York, where he still lives. In 1996, Joseph was a guitar salesman working for the minimum wage at Clark's Music in Atlanta. Frustrated, broke, musing on a life of crime, he returned home one day to find a message on his answerphone that would change everything. The calm, quintessentially English voice he heard belonged to Peter Gabriel. The surreal and the hyper-real merged with Gabriel and his buddy Lou Reed coming to see Joseph play a showcase gig in New York, after which they all dined alongside Dolly Parton. Soon, Joseph would become the first rock artist to sign to Gabriel's Real World label, releasing Big City Secrets in 1996, the 7-song EP Vacancy in 1999, Come To Where I'm From in 2000, and Redemption's Son in 2002. In July 2005 Arthur released the album Our Shadows Will Remain in the UK through 14th Floor Records. The album was rapturously commended with Time Out describing it as "a series of beautifully crafted songs. Majestic" and the Sunday Times "as good as music gets".

(from Contactmusic)

VIDEO »
Joseph Arthur – Diamond Ring
Released: 03/09/07

One of the key songs on Joseph Arthur’s new solo album, ‘Let’s Just Be’ - 'Diamond Ring' is an infectious bluesy guitar number that’s packed with wriggling guitar riffs. Like always, it’s Arthur’s voice that is the best part – sounding somewhat like a youthful ‘Exile…’ period Mick Jagger. ‘Let’s Just Be’ is released on September 3rd via 14th Floor.

(from GIGWISE)

Joseph Arthur - Lets Just Be LP / Nuclear Daydream LP
(14th Floor Records)

8/10 - Beautifully Polished

One of America's finest songwriting exports in many a time, the ever prolific Joseph Arthur releases not one, but two albums on the same day. A songwriting obsessive, famed for his live shows where he would often paint as he sang, Arthur has steadily been growing in both acclaim and sales over the past few years helped in part by some high profile supporters (Stipe, Bowie, Coldplay) as well as some well placed syncs (Greys anatomy, The OC et al) and support slots with the likes of REM.

As a pair of albums, despite being recorded a year apart, these two pieces of work hang together fantastically well as the next stage of the evolution marked out on 2005's excellent "Our Shadows Will Remain".

Lets Just Be, the product of three weeks of no frills back to basics recording, sees Arthur in a playful, post tour mood. Along with new backing band The Lonely Astronauts, Arthur crashes his way through his own frazzled brand of country rock. Opener, the ultra stonesy "Diamond Ring" sets a high watermark for whats to follow with its delicious twang and unpolished edges.

Throughout the album the band frequently pull twists and turns out of thin air to take the listener on a rollercoaster of tender ballads, country tinged rockers and densely layered sections reminiscent of Arthurs astonishing one man shows (where he would construct whole banks of loops over which to sing). The triumvarate of Lonely Astronaut, Cocaine Feet and the album's title track in particular providing more thrilling moments in the space of fifteen minutes than any man really ought to have any right to lay his hands on.

On the other hand, Nuclear Daydream released last year in the US sees Arthur in a more reflective mood. A close cousin to Becks' Sea Change, the album is a masterpiece of mournful balladry and raw emotion. As strings drape themselves over Arthurs gravel voice, tinges of battered synths and loops appear; the sound of 22nd century country as beamed back through time by Arthur's grandchildren. weeping slide guitar and hushed tones usher the listener across a desolate sepia tinged landscape, taking in forthcoming single 'Enough To Get Away' as well as other gems 'Black Lexus' and 'Dont Tell Your Eyes'.

It is testament to Arthurs vision and consistently high standards that these two albums - despite being separated by time and personnel - have a vibrancy and a continuity that travels through both and points them to being consumed as a double album rather than on their own. Like twins, each has its own personality, one rambunctious and care free and the other more withdrawn and methodical, but like twins - each needs the other and there is no reason I can think of, not to love either.

An excellent pair of additions to this man's back catalogue, these two records offer up proof of a genuine legend in the making. Who else, after all, has offered up three very good to great albums in just over two years? Whether a dud is in the pipeline is something that only time will tell but for now the man shows no signs of letting up steam and that, is great news for everybody.

Written By: Ben M
Date: 17/08/2007

(from [the-mag])

JOSEPH ARTHUR Nuclear Daydream & Let's Just Be (2007)

Oft mentioned in the same sentence as Ryan Adams - mostly in the past for their passion for alt-country tinged Americana and proliferation of output, Joseph Arthur follows in Ryan's footsteps by releasing two albums simultaneously. In the UK, at least.


Nuclear Daydream was released in the US late last year to widespread acclaim, while Let's Just Be has only recently seen the light of day. And they're two quite distinctly different albums. Nuclear Daydream is a stripped back and intimate acoustic based affair bringing folk acoustic troubadours such as Neil Young, Donovan and early Bowie to mind. While Let's Just Be was written immediately after Arthur's last tour with his new band The Lonely Astronauts, and visits far wider soundscapes.

Nuclear Daydream is Arthur's fifth full-length album and it's a fragile and beautiful creature - swooping lyrics and lushly composed songs of romance and despair. It's not overproduced and the emphasis on the performance is on 'feel' rather than technical perfection. It would have gone down a storm in the days of Crosby, Still, Nash and Nick Drake. So if yearn for the days of 'proper' singer-songwriters, 12 perfect songs over 45 minutes, then Nuclear Daydream is well worth exploring.

Highlights? The Neil Young reminiscent Black Lexus, the wonderful Don't Give Up On People which has a Satellite Of Love feel to it, and the stunning title track. ****


Let's Just Be, on the other hand, is mixed bag - kicking off with the Diamond Ring - an almost Prince/Stones-like r&b workout. But it's not atypical of the album as whole - which is a sprawling 16 tracks spread over 78 minutes - including the 20 minute extended Lonely Astronaut (with its chaotic and mid section) and the 9 minute Star Song. So you can't complain about value for money. Or as they used to say in the sixties - ‘never mind the quality, feel the width'.

Which is perhaps appropriate for an album recorded over 3 weeks straight to tape using a back to basics approach. It straddles the full variety of Arthur's styles and is experimental in places - even by his standards. And while it's an altogether more rock workout than previous outings, there's still plenty of acoustic based numbers. But you do wonder if some careful editing might have honed the set down to a polished gem, as opposed to a rough diamond. ***


Neither album could be accused of being ‘instant' and you're going to need to learn to love them. But that shouldn't be a problem if you're already a fan or were impressed by his last UK offering Our Shadows Will Remain.

But if you're going to dip your toe for the first time, go for Nuclear Daydream.

Review by Pete Whalley
(from getreadytorock)

LETS JUST BE – album / NUCLEAR DAYDREAM – album / ENOUGH TO GET AWAY – single
03 September 2007 / 14th Floor Records / 16 Trk CD – 12 Trk CD – 1 Trk CD

:: Joseph Arthur ::
Joseph Arthur goes record crazy
By Emily Slowlie

Joseph Arthur is a resident of New York but originates from Akron Ohio before then completing a spell in Atlanta Georgia. It tells, through a vast array of musical styles. Arthur releases his fifth full length album “Nuclear Daydream” which is full of ambling, sometimes searching love songs – It’s this album that tellingly provides new single “Enough To Get Away” which has enough breezy Americana and indie sensibility to propel him in his native country. “Let’s Just Be” is markedly heavier and bluesier and offers more in the way of experimentation. If you’re looking for something that’s more expansive and leftfield then this latter album is the one, but tracks like “Spaceman” prove that the melodies are no less compelling.

MMM (both albums)

(from Manchester Music)

Joseph Arthur/Nuclear Daydream/Let's Just Be
Two albums on the same day, Arthur's quality control has dipped badly since 2005's superb Shadows.

Let's Just Be is largely improvised with his backing band, which frustrates as jams that could have been honed into great knockabout rockabilly have no focus, good ideas surrounded by flab.

Daydream is more conventional, but the mournful ballads lack Shadows' colour. It too feels rushed, and you sense he could do with a guiding hand. 5/10

(from Teletext Planet Sound Album Reviews)

Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream
A Fine Release
by Daniel Jones, Wed Aug 29 06:40:07 2007

Rated 8 (out of 13)

So it turns out that Joseph Arthur is doing the Connor Oberst thing and on September the 4th he will be releasing two new albums, "Nuclear Daydream" and "Let's Just Be". So which one to get? Is it both? Or is it neither? Well I can't help you so much with that, seeing as in my possession I only have a copy of one of the albums. But I am quite content with just this one.

"Nuclear Daydream" creeps out of your stereo like a lazy Sunday afternoon as Arthur's seemingly scene setting voice paints pictures of calm oceans and rings with vocal simplicity that is all too underrated. "Enough To Get Away" is to be Arthur's next single and its conversational like vocals tread tentatively above the delicate guitar that imposes no obstruction to what is intended to be a stripped down album with no added reverb.

Joseph Arthur's relaxed modern folk finesse is graceful on any stereo and the subtlety of his song writing sees a medley between Australia's Patrick Park and legendary Ryan Adams, but with slightly less angst and maybe a little less alcohol fuelled drama.

We begin to see Arthur's better side when he picks up the pace a little in a few tracks. The sound gradually increases and the yearning in his voice is more predominant, and it is these little glimmers of feeling that seep through the stale cracks in the album, which to be honest, come few and far between.

(from RoomThirteen)

Album Reviews » Joseph Arthur » Nuclear Daydream
Score: 8

Arthur's fifth solo record is a bit of a departure from his last effort 2004's “Our Shadows Will Remain.” For this album it seemed that Joseph took a very toned down approach. The songs on Our Shadows.. had a very slick and pop feel to the them. But, on “Nuclear Daydream” he armed with mostly just his vocals and his guitar. The album starts off with single “To Much To Hide” which, sounds very much like something REM would do these days and you can even hear a hind of Michael Stipe in the vocals. Current single “Enough to Get Away” comes up next and it is simply a dazzler. It has become a favorite song of mine, as it simply has a touch of everything and just makes you feel alright. “Electrical Storm” will take you back with its bold lyrics and beautiful melodies. “When I Was Running Out of Time” shows signs of Dylan. “Nuclear Daydream” is a textbook “grower” album, its awhile to sit down and really let it hit you. But, after multiple encounters this is up there with some of Joesph's best work.

by John Siwicki
(from ComfortComes)

Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream (14th Floor) - UK release date: 3 September 2007
4 stars (out of 5)

With the sheer number of earnest singer/songwriters who have been thrown at us in recent years it would be easy to dismiss the whole genre as suffering from overkill. But to do that would be to miss out on some real talent out there. Joseph Arthur for example. He's been around for some time now, but never really broken through in this country, although if you watch any American trash telly you'd probably recognise older tracks In The Sun or Honey And The Moon.

So here we are at his fifth solo album, Nuclear Daydream, which is intriguingly being released on the same day as Let's Just Be, his first album with his band The Lonely Astronauts. This UK release has finally come around a year after the Americans were able to get their hands on it. Some of these tracks have been hanging around for a while, such as lead single Enough To Get Away. Standing out as the most upbeat and downright lovely pop song on the album, it's reminiscent of Karl Wallinger and World Party at their best.

Arthur has a versatile voice which takes on a different tone with every song he sings, and while on Enough To Get Away it's a laidback smooth drawl that invites the listener in, he croaks his way through the harmonica-infused You Are Free, and employs a Bowie-esque style to When I Was Running Out Of Time. So at least the album has some diversity on it, which perhaps is where a lot of his contemporaries fall down. Other highlights include the well-paced Black Lexus and the almost gospel appeal of Woman.

When looking for comparisons, John Lennon is an easy reference point. But tracks like Electrical Storm more readily bring to mind the work of The National. The National and Arthur's music share a similar sombre mood, from the synth sounds used in Automatic Situation to the engaging title track that closes the album.

Whether or not there's room for him in the already over-crowded singer/songwriter market remains to be seen. This is a superb collection of songs and the quality of the writing and arrangement can't be doubted. But what's not so obvious is whether he's really going to stand up and get the attention he deserves. This album could be a slow-burning, word-of-mouth success or it could just be added to his already crowded back catalogue of albums that are turning Arthur into one of the best-kept secrets around.

- Ben Urdang
(from musicOMH)

Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream
IndieLondon Rating: 4 out of 5

JOSEPH Arthur is often hailed as one of the foremost singr-songwriters working in the US – and one of the most prolific.

Nuclear Daydream is his fifth studio album and it’s being released simultaneously in the UK with Let’s Just Be (his sixth, to be reviewed next week).

American critics have already hailed it as a masterpiece and it’s easy to see why – the album is a lushly composed collection of 12 songs that encapsulate romance and despair.

Packed with some enchanting instrumentation (all delivered by Arthur himself) and driven by his vulnerable, husky vocals (that are sometimes reminiscent of Dylan and Beck), Nuclear Daydream is an utterly enthralling listen that seldom skips a beat.

Where former album Our Shadows Will Remain was a little more sombre (but no less fantastic), this retains a keen sense of hope even when chronicling romantic loss.

Album opener Too Much To Hide, for instance, appears quite upbeat thanks to some shimmering melodies, a keen tambourine back beat and a hopeful vocal performance that belies the somewhat melancholy lyrics. Some of the guitar riffs wouldn’t sound out of place on an REM record (circa Losing My Religion).

Black Lexus, meanwhile, washes over you in tranquil fashion – Arthur’s vocals appearing more haunted, his guitar licks less forceful early on. But once the percussion kicks in, it’s an utterly beguiling record that speaks of loss (“you can’t find her”) in strangely beautiful fashion.

The rest of the album follows along in similarly well-realised fashion, changing tempos with casual aplomb. Where Enough To Get Away contains a lively vibe, Slide Away is more reflective – but still builds to some thrilling crescendos.

Electrical Storm is couched in a stark beauty that’s emphasized by the haunting piano running through it, Automatic Situation draws on some atmospheric background electronics and an ultra-husky set of layered vocals, and Don’t Tell Your Eyes is pure Sea Change era Beck, albeit with a renewed sense of hope – just check out the “Jesus loves you more than you know” chorus, almost as though Arthur is delivering his own rallying call to a nation battered into doubt and fear by its political leaders.

Further highlights come from the brooding Don’t Give Up On People, which hint at gospel and Lennon’s Imagine piano backing, and title track Nuclear Daydream, which brings the album to a richly rewarding and thought-provoking close.

But that’s not to say that the tracks that haven’t been mentioned are any less notable – rather, they all combine to create another memorable experience from Arthur and one that’s certain to figure among the year’s best.

The only hope is that more people get to find out about him…

Download picks: Black Lexus, Slide Away, Automatic Situation, Too Much To Hide, Don’t Tell Your Eyes, Nuclear Daydream, Don’t Give Up On People

Review by Jack Foley
(from IndieLondon)

Joseph Arthur: Nuclear Daydream

Pop CD of the Week
****

Joseph Arthur writes too many songs. He knows it, but there’s nothing he can do about it. In the past, this has resulted in sprawling albums, that – despite their moments of brilliance – could end up losing their way a bit. What Arthur has done this time round is release two albums at the same time. In the interests of simplicity, we’re going to ignore Let’s Just Be, a loose, rocking album, made with his band, the Lonely Astronauts, which is fun, but lacks the magic of Arthur’s best work. Nuclear Daydream, however, has that magic. And, at 12 tracks, it also has brevity and focus, making it perhaps Arthur’s most accessible work yet. Presumably, what’s happened here is that Let’s Just Be has provided a home for the tracks that might have extended Nuclear Daydream to more typically Arthurian lengths. As a result, Nuclear Daydream offers us Arthur’s trademark gorgeous songs, built on a ragged Rolling Stones-ballad vibe – but without any filler.

Mark Edwards, September 2, 2007
(from Times Online)

Music Review - Joseph Arthur: Nuclear Daydream; Let's Just Be
14th Floor Records, out Sept 3rd.

In a nutshell…

Good and not-so-good.

What's it all about?

American singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur releases two new albums - Nuclear Daydream and Let's Just Be - following the single Enough To Get Away which arrived in the UK toward the end of August.

Nuclear Daydream is Arthur's fifth solo album comprising 12 epic songs of romance and despair. The LP was released in America in late 2006 to critical acclaim.

Let's Just Be was penned immediately after Arthur's most recent tour with his new band The Lonely Astronauts. This 16-track album was recorded in LA and as Arthur says: "The idea was for us to record all these new songs straight to tape using only 16 tracks with no reverb, like how the Stones or Neil Young used to record."

Who's it by

Resident in New York, Joseph Arthur was the first rock artist to sign to Peter Gabriel's Real World label in 1996, releasing four albums between 1996 and 2002. In July 2005 he released the album Our Shadows Will Remain in the UK through 14th Floor Records which was well received by the British press.

As well as being an accomplished singer-songwriter, Arthur, originally from Ohio, has launched his own gallery and performance venue in New York called The Museum of Modern Arthur, and the multi-talented artist has exhibited paintings at the Vertigo Gallery in east London.

As an example…

"Taste you like a woman, in the evening sun." – Precious One from Let's Just Be

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

Joseph Arthur is just the sort of artist so beloved of the House of Grammy, so expect him to regularly pick up gongs and accolades.

What the others say

"A glorious work of art." – Vanity Fair.

"Endlessly inventive." – The Sun.

So is it any good?

When Joseph Arthur's good he's very good but when he's bad he's annoying and embarrassing. With these new albums he veers between these states on a track-to-track basis.

Let's Just Be's opening number Diamond Ring is crunchy blues with Prince-esque vocals while Good Life is an irritating experiment in sound and Lonely Astronaut is just pretentious. The title track is a fine floor-filler with sizzling, slightly unhinged vocals yet Shake It Off is cringe-making in the extreme.

Nuclear Daydream is the better LP, boasting the haunting Black Lexus and the late summer bonhomie of Enough To Get Away. The album's stand-out tracks are the affecting Electrical Storm; acoustic guitar, piano and Arthur's husky delivery, and uplifting folk in You Are Free.

But he's prone to laziness with the uninspired Automatic Situation and Woman, and his awful impersonation of 80s Dire Straits with Lack A Vision on Let's Just Be.

7 /10

Lee Davis, 03 Sep 2007
(from InTheNews.co.uk)

JOSEPH ARTHUR

Nuclear daydream ****
14th Floor Records 5144232382, £10.99

Let's Just Be **
14th Floor 5144232372, £10.99

Nuclear Daydream was originally released in Arthur's native United States last year, and the Brooklyn singer songwriter's fifth studio album is a tasty mix of musical flavours, acoustic based but spicily produced. 'Black Lexus' and the title track are typical of his lyrical incisiveness, tapping into a hitherto unexplored Neil Young vocal tremolo, while 'Enough To Get Away' would sit comfortably on a Belle And Sebastian record.

Let's Just Be was written and recorded with his live band, The Lonely Astronauts, when they came off the road this year. There is an urgent vibrancy often lost in a studio, but a lack of focus that is less satisfying, and the random vocal asides are irritating.

• Download these: Black Lexus, Star Song

ALEXANDER BRYCE, Sun 2 Sep 2007
(from Scotland on Sunday / Scotsman.com)