Joseph Arthur

With three EPs already released this year, one more on the way and a full-length album due in September, Joseph Arthur is already having a busy 2008. However, the Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter/luminary still has enough inspiration in the tank for Bag Is Hot, an ongoing album that could supposedly last forever. Updated almost daily since late April at josepharthur.tumblr.com, Bag Is Hot already consists of around 20 tracks—each of which was written and produced exclusively for the project. More than just a novel idea, Bag Is Hot also contains some worthwhile music, though some tracks are more successful than others. “One by One” (posted May 9) and “I’m in Your Life” (May 8) have a pleasantly subtle pop-rock shuffle—a sort of candy-coated shell covering Arthur’s smooth, raspy vocals and slightly melancholy lyrics. Meanwhile, the echoing “Straw Dogs” (May 11) is unable to match the resonance of its opening line, “Death is what you came for.” In addition to the music, the site also includes Arthur’s photos, artwork and poems creating a well-rounded audio-visual experience.