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[SINGER-SONGWRITER] Joseph Arthur found himself
back in New York late last year in the wake of touring just after Lou
Reed's death. It was an unusually harsh winter, and soon the tireless
musician was at work on a proper tribute record. He vowed not to
incorporate drums or go electric, as those tools belonged to Mr. Reed.
The result is Lou, a quiet, subtly chilling tip of the hat to the
Velvet Underground frontman that trembles in his spiritual presence.
Arthur, who was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-'90s and was the
first American to work under Gabriel's Real World Records, has steadily
pushed along, building an impressive résumé without really going
mainstream. His biggest hit, "In the Sun," came from 2000's Come to Where I'm From,
a record co-produced by T-Bone Burnett that captured the shy neo-folk
that Beck and Wilco were making popular in the early aughts. Arthur
tried going bigger, later forming short-lived group the Lonely
Astronauts, and he even incorporated brass and soul singers with last
year's The Ballad of Boogie Christ. With Lou, Arthur is back performing by himself again, which is where this multifaceted indie icon is most effective.
WWeek 2015