There has been an unpublished competition for bands; it seems, at gigs this year to have the most flamboyant and impressive backdrop. Joseph elected for simplicity by way of a large flip pad sketch of two invertebrate lovers (as far as this untrained eye can tell). He was accompanied on stage by his plug in acoustic guitar, a powerful harmonica and his enigmatic personality. He paraded numbers spanning his entire career with songs from the albums ‘Our Shadows Will Remain’ and ‘Redemption’s Son’ helping to decorate an invigorating set. The cumulative effect of his vocals, harmonica, guitar and backing tape brought to mind contemporaries Ray Lamontagne and Badly Drawn Boy, as well as the older influences of Bob Dylan, Joe Henry and Tom Waits.

“Can you see what it is yet?”

www.josepharthur.com

David Adair