Joseph Arthur

There’s something both somber and soothing in the music of Joseph Arthur, always at the point where hope meets despair on an endless search for freedom, love, spiritual redemption and home. Arthur augments his gentle folk leanings with various musical settings, from the traditional organ, harmonica and brushes-on-snare backing of “Dear Lord” to the dreamy keyboard and shimmering electric guitar of the popish “September Baby” or the trip-hop touches of “Favorite Girl.” But he comes off best when supported with relatively sparse instrumentation, allowing the warmth of his voice to come through. That’s why Redemption’s Son peaks only five cuts in, with the quietly moving “Innocent World.” “You once had a mind like a child / Now it’s buried under silence and guilt,” he sings in a fragile, Young-ian falsetto over acoustic guitar, strings and a pensive beat. It’s soul-feeding stuff.