Joseph Arthur: Evokes both Picasso and Neil Young

From a concert review of Joseph Arthur in Los Angeles, CA in the Hollywood Reporter:

"Not many artists manage to evoke both Picasso and Neil Young in the opening moments of a show, but that's exactly what Joseph Arthur did Thursday at the Troubadour.

The singer-songwriter kicked off his latest U.S. trek not with his guitar in hand but with a tube of paint, and he created his own backdrop of abstract art on a white piece of canvas hanging against the stage wall.

After some minor technical difficulties, which Arthur dismissed as tour-opening glitches, the lanky troubadour launched into a new song, "Paints Me Gold," that sounded like a lost Young classic. It's that mix of familiarity and originality that makes Arthur such a remarkable talent. His songs have echoes of other great performers -- from Bob Dylan to Beck and Billy Corgan -- but he's not quite like anyone else."

More on Joseph Arthur's official website.

---