Customer Reviews

Our Shadows Will Remain

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Joseph Arthur has been quietly gaining a deservedly fine reputation for his emotionally raw, yet very well crafted songs. Breaking away from the RealWorld label, where he released the excellent 'Come to Where I'm From' and 'Redemption's Son' amongst others, he has added a richer more polished layer to his honest lyrics and affecting music.

None of the tracks reached me as immediately as favourites, such as 'In the Sun', 'September Baby' or the beautiful 'Honey and the Moon' but soon enough a few gems appear. 'Echo Park' and 'A Smile that Explodes' are standout tracks in an album that rewards the listener throughout. His vocals focus on the higher register more than past outings, which is refreshing, but this is as characteristic and interesting as ever. Some tracks may be more geared towards an American audience, such as 'Leave Us Alone' but there is plenty to keep the British listener entertained, too.

Appearing on lauded soundtracks such as the OC and Shrek 2, and supporting REM, his unique style and gravely voice have already won him quite a few fans but this new album should see that growth continue. Recommended.

There is genius in the year 2004 & beyond. His name is Joseph Arthur.
This guy not only writes & sings great songs, every single tune is great with meaning....
This is a gem. A rare find that is buried within the system that is called music.
Mr. Arthur's voice is a very powerful one. I often wonder how one with such talent can be so underated.
I LOVE this guy. I LOVE his albums. I love Our Shadows Will Remain. I would say that it is his BEST album to date hands down! (however, all of his work is a stroke of genius).

Entertainment Weekly Review:

With his razor-shredded voice and love of murky sonic textures, Joseph Arthur always sounds as if he's groping his way out of the dark. But as heard on Our Shadows Will Remain, an especially forceful and cohesive album, no one fumbles about better.
On beautifully dank songs like Wasted or Can't Exist, Arthur never fails to find his way to the light and, in the process, lay waste to just about every coy male singer songwriter in his path. (by David Browne, Entertainment Weekly 2004 review).

I play Our Shadows Will Remain often & it just gets better & better. If you are looking for some high quality music, then please get the album 0f 2004. You will get your money's worth 10 times over.

What can I say that most of the people reviewing this cd haven't already said.
Arthur is OUTRAGEOUSLY talented. It's almost shocking.
The depth of songwriting and production values are so intense.
It's extremely well recorded and mixed music.
Anyone into audio manipulation should just buy all of his albums right now.
"Stumble and Pain" is probably my favourite track. The sinister tone of it and the synth effects are just superb.
As with all Arthur albums the vocals are dense, layered, and its something he's obviously worked on for a long time and it really pays off on this album!
Anyone new to him should buy this immediatly and buy redemption's son straight after that.
WHAT A MUSICIAN!

if you need just one song to realise how talented arthur is, try "a smile that explodes"...it is a jewel in that fantastic eclectic cd. "A smile that explodes" is possibly the best love song ever written...just check!

Joseph Arthur's new album, "Our Shadows Will Remain" is a new favorite of mine. I discovered him about two years ago with his release "Redemption's Son", and he has been one of my favorite artists since.

I was fortunate to see him perform live at a small gig in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and I have to say that he is one of the few artists that sounds even better live. He is a true musical genious- and watching him create his music on stage was an incredible experience.....layer upon layer he would place complex tunes and beats, one on top of the other. At first I heard him create these layers and I thought, "how the hell is THAT going to work into a song?".....but sure enough, it worked every time, and the final products were always masterpieces of creativity and musical genious.

I bought his new album, "Our Shadows Will Remain", as soon as it came out, anxious to hear his new creations (and hopefully find some of the unrecognizeable songs he sang at the concert that I loved).

This album definately does incorporate a more 1980's synthesizer type of influence, but it works incredibly well. Someone referred to this latest recording as sounding "overproduced", but maybe this can be attributed to his latest inspiration and use of 80s synthesizer influences. I think it's pretty difficult to make a synthesizer based song sound more raw, real and not "overproduced".

I actually admire and respect Joseph's exploration and change of various styles and influences. If he continued to produce song after song of the same influences and in the same manner, I would get bored of him. Joseph's music is soo complex that one never gets bored of listening to it. It is as if every single time you listen to one of his songs, you hear something new and different.

I'm hoping that this will be the album that pulls Mr. Arthur into the spotlight and out of the shadows of semi-obscurity. I have been a fan since "Come To Where I'm From," purchasing it after Entertainment Weekly named it the best CD of that year. Although that album may still be my favorite, "Shadows" is perfection and contains a couple more mainstream tracks that may find Mr. Arthur enjoying greater radio airplay than he's previously received. The only drawback to him recieving more airplay and selling more CD's will be that he will have to play larger venues and I will no longer get to enjoy the heartbreaking intimacy found his current live preformances.

Joseph Arthur's music slowly grows on you over time...permeating its way into your heart till you really start feeling what he feels in the songs he sings. He has this rare, expressive vocal quality that I find easy to relate to and fall in love with. My love affair with Joseph Arthur is simply with his music. There's no lust thing going on like my feelings for other certain rockstars. He uses acoustic guitars, electric acoustics, electric guitars, and sometimes even loops electronic samples and it all works so beautifully.

Our Shadows Will Remain is the only album I own of his thus far, but it will definatly will not be my last. The album kicks off with his gorgeous acapella number entitled "Ohio." It is only 43 seconds long, but in those 43 seconds you understand the underlying feeling that resonates throughout this album in the words "In Ohio, you were born...You will die alone." This album is all about confusion and loneliness....not being able to fully cope with this world's complexities and pitfalls but trying anyway through song to get some kind of grasp on life.

But don't get the idea that is album is all depressing ballads, like most of Elliott Smith's work. Hell, in the song "Stumble and Pain" you could swear that you were hearing a Nine Inch Nails side project! "Echo Park" beautifully uses strings and has a very uplifting, almost gospel chorus of the word "Freedom." The song that really gets me though is "A Smile that Explodes." Its a beautiful duet with the singer Julia Darling that really touches me with its beautiful music arrangement and lyrics such as:

"My room too small/To get by without the help out alcohol/Pin my arm to the wall/Now I'm too gone to fight Not afraid to fall/Cuz it ain't easier Waking up at dawn To find I lost my crown/If I found you there With flowers in your hair"

This man is a truly phenomenal musician and I really hope that guys will think about finding out more about Joseph's music. Sincerely.


Recommended Listens: Devils Broom, Echo Park, Can't Exist, Stumble and Pain, and A Smile That Explodes

This is my first exploration into the music of Joseph Arthur. I actually heard "All of Our Hands" on NPR and then later on his website, www.josepharthur.com. Because I was so taken with the song (which doesn't make an appearance on the album, it's a bonus) I decided to go out and buy the album. While "All of Our Hands" is probably the most amazing modern politically charged song I've heard, the rest of the album doesn't quite as live up to its standard.

That said, I am thoroughly enjoying the blending of electronic beats and more "traditional" instruments. Arthur's vocals are interesting, and different than most pop-rock artists. I tend to have an ear which likes unique, more gritty vocalists (REM, Velvet Underground, etc). The songs are all well written and intriguing, my favorites being In Ohio, Can't Exist, and Echo Park (and of course All of Our Hands from his site). If you haven't heard Arthur yet, go to his site, listen to the songs there, and then buy the album. I definitely plan on checking out some of his earlier works.

I'm been a huge fan of Joseph Arthur's entire catalog; in my mind he's the best artist in music today. In two years his CDs have never left my CD changer. That said, this album is a major disappointment. I suspect that Arthur is reaching for the mainstream success that has eluded him so far, as this record sounds much more radio-friendly and is missing many of the more inspired moments of "Redemption's Son".

I thought that "Come To Where I'm From" and "Redemption's Son" each showed a polishing of Arthur's production talents over their predecessors; "Our Shadows Will Remain" shows what happens when a record is "over-produced".

That said, this album is light-years better than the other crap that passes for innovative music these days, so I'd still recommend buying it. Just don't expect "Redemption's Son", Arthur's (and the decade's) greatest musical achievement.