REVIEW : Come Back World - Americana Highways

Joseph Arthur, Come Back World. 

November 6, 2019 by Bill Bentley

If there is a present day hidden missile waiting in the rock ranks ready to explode, look to Joseph Arthur. With decades-long dedication to chasing his inner muse, sometimes in the open and others in the darkness, the Akron, Ohio native has never wavered from the course. His albums hit the highest level of inspiration with stunning regularity, and with fans like Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed and R.E.M., over the years it always seemed like Arthur was zeroing in on breakthrough status. 

The good news is he still is, and on the appropriately named Moonage Rebel record label it’s an honor well-earned. Joseph Arthur’s crazy-glue mix of melody, rhythms, lyrics and just plain uniqueness isn’t often equaled, and the way he delivers such an intriguing reverie is nothing short of breathtaking. There is never any question that Arthur is giving everything he has on these ten songs, supplying almost all the instrumentation except drums. And with backing vocalists like Greg Dulli, Ben Harper, Marley Munroe, Jesse Malin and Chris Seefried weaving a wonderful web of singing behind him, this is rock that tiptoes into the spiritual in a way that evokes real survival. 

Near the end, as “Mayor of the Lower East Side” brings that storied New York neighborhood to shivering life, the spirit of Lou Reed is right there on the sidewalk, taking a walk on the wild side once again with his good friend Joseph Arthur. Little Joe lives.

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