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January 9-15, 2003 musicpicks Joseph Arthur
If anyone's aided and abetted the ambient-folk mien of Nick Drake without getting all blood-of-the-poet-like, it's Joseph Arthur. The too-long-neglected singer/songwriter sort with the Beatley melodies and phantom-fearing lyrics confused novices by signing to Peter Gabriel's Real World label in the later '90s. Those expecting a melange of tribal drum wallpaper and pan-ethnic flute sounds were instead welcomed to spritely, introspective, synth-laced harmonica-heaving folk on CDs Big City Secrets and Come to Where I'm From. His nice, new Redemption's Son (Real World/Virgin) follows Arthur's previous line of reasoning neatly, what with the Akron, Ohioan's nasal vocals mixed way up in Tchad Blake's production of cluttered chamber pop ("Innocent World") and glitch/twinkly electronics flush with fluttering Frippian guitars ("I Would Rather Hide") -- reminiscent, in its entirety, of Bowie's Heathen. More so than usual, though, Arthur's allowed the grit of every folkie's wet dream -- Dylan's gruff, Band-backed era -- to inflict him with heartland spirit and Hammond-organ heft, as on quietly brusque blowers like "Dear Lord." Thu., Jan. 9, 9 p.m., $10, with Jesse Malin, The North Star, 27th and Poplar sts., 215-684-0808. 
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