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08 April 2004
Ben Arthur, Edible Darling (Bardic)
Ben Arthur has just enough of an edge to make him passable throughout this record. "Your grinding gives me zipper burn," he sings on "Mary Ann", a polished and glistening pop tune that has some sampling and urban effects in the distance. It's his songwriting and highbrow way with words and phrase turning that is perhaps most enjoyable, resembling Ben Folds, Ed Harcourt or Joe Firstman on the lightweight but alluring "Tonight". An early gem is the melodic pop rock of "Broken-Hearted Smile", having just enough of an Americana feel to get him over the proverbial hump. The quality of the music is rarely failing, especially on the U2-ish "End Of The Day". It also has a Joseph Arthur-cum-Cash Brothers aura to it. The lone departure from this friendly format is a brief Mark Knopfler-esque instrumental entitled, oddly enough, "Instrumental #3". That and a country effort on "Keep Me Around" that has a certain swing a la The Waifs. The title track is quite forgetful, a ditty even Matchbox Twenty might consider too formulaic. The homestretch opens with a somber and moody "Bloomed" with Arthur's strongest performance vocally. "Wake" has a Beatles flare to it with its dreamy harmonies and psychedelic underlay.
— Jason MacNeil
.: posted by Editor 7:25 AM
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