Joseph Arthur throws his fans a curveball with his latest EP, Crazy Rain. The acclaimed singer/songwriter is putting out four EP’s 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 (QRO review), 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 (QRO venue review). Look forward to the next EP, to the next party, to the next Joseph Arthur.
