Joseph Arthur

The Graduation Ceremony (Lonely Astronaut)

Conjuring sound songcraft through technological hoops for more than 15 years, Joseph Arthur’s eighth studio album negotiates a weird tension between seasoned polish and rank greenness. The standouts – including dreamy, plaintive opener “Out on a Limb,” which paints a melancholy watercolor of longing and loss, and “Watch Our Shadows Run” – showcase Arthur’s signature layer-cake ethos, the latter melody evoking Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” accented by an insistent sonar ping. Moving stuff. Then there’s the material belonging to a coffee shop open mic night, such as the forced vocalizations of “This Is Still My World” and the lyrics of “Call” (“Last time we spoke/It was all good/But with the passing of time/Things get misunderstood” – oof). The Graduation Ceremony therefore walks a painfully lovely example of an extremely talented and creative artist who hasn’t quite matured. (5pm, Austin Ventures stage)

**.5

This article appears in September 16 • 2011.

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