REVIEW : Vagabond Skies - Snob's Music

Joseph Arthur is a man possessed this year. He has a total of five official releases coming out (4 EPs and a full length), plus his online recordings which keep piling up.

Vagabond Skies is his latest EP release and if it's any indication, quantity doesn't mean you have to compromise quality.

The EP is a collection of six songs soulful songs mostly about relationships and love. As with any great song about relationships, it's the hurt and the loss which are most poigniant within Arthur's songs. I', not sure if a better line about betrayal exists than "The knife in your back isn't as sharp as your tongue" ("Pretty Good Company").

Arthur does step away from the folksy rockers for a while, "Second Sight" brings in destorted vocals and heavy drums sounds that pound in a rhythm reminiscent of Devo's best work.

The EP ends on what's probably it's best track "It's Too Late", in which Arthur laments a wasted opportunity for love. "Every time I try to tell you how I feel/it's too late" is a sentiment I'm sure most people can relate to at one time or another.

That ability to convey those feelings we all have is what make Joseph Arthur special.