Monday 10/10/05 Joseph Arthur, Nerina Pallot @ Carling Academy, Liverpool

Joseph Arthur returns to Liverpool for a second innings in two months with his songbook of plaintive and fathom-deep songs, a determination to capture the U.K. audience, something this talented performer ought to have had going a long time ago.

Warm up was ably provided by an up-beat and warmly-received Nerina Pallot playing acoustic guitar and piano - comparing favourably with Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos or Eva Abraham, even working in the lyrics "coo kooky coo".

Joseph Arthur is one of the most powerful Stateside-song smiths to have to have emerged these last 5 or 6 years. A guitar and pedals virtuoso, with raw and gutsy song writing, performing solo for some 19 tracks - the evening is characterised by an emotional intensity with little levity, truly fabulous songs that make up for the lack of discourse. Dapperly-attired in a white suit, a painting is screen-drawn with the words 'Shelter No Shelter' with the shape of a face - a cryptic beginning that may or may not reveal more. We kick off with 'Jesus Loves You', Joseph singing with delicacy  - "Don't tell pain, your pain is mine...Jesus loves you more than you will know", an open and heartfelt song that scarcely ruffles the lapsed-Christian feathers. With simple chords from the acoustic guitar, loops of strum are built from samples which allow Joseph to carry the rhythm of 'I Am.' Samples are twisted and layered, textured electronic doodles emerge undeterred by a broken guitar string, the Mystery School axiom -  'I Am that I Am' providing the pivotal axis for this song. The tone lightens for the revealing 'Echo Park', Joseph with tight melodies followed by riffing guitar and a passionate plea about the search for love. Returning the attentions to Joseph's latest album 'Our Shadows Will Remain' with the upbeat yet gritty 'Devil's Broom' - the evening is ploughing a particularly intense furrow that sees Joseph withdrawing and retreating further into the depths of his music.

The elegiac 'You Are The Dark' paints one of the most plaintive of Joseph's tracks - poetic and poised, a track whose sheer power enters the solar plexus and goes straight to the heart, its beauty dispelling the dark amidst a narrative of loss and emotion. A further few tracks and we are granted the recognition of presence, a "hi" and "howdy" with "thanks" for coming, an important exchange for personalising the performance that had so far been muted amidst so many back-to-back songs leading into the reflective 'A Smile That Explodes' - a song with flesh-searing intensity.

A wee break and the noisy request for an encore ushers 'She Paints Me Gold', which from strumming harmonies goes through pedals and distortion that'd have Hendrix reeling. It's a glad-bag offering this evening with some of the finest of Joseph's songbook ('Good About Me', ‘In The Sun’...) - skittering beats and experiments with keyboards left behind on stage, a pause to wang up the bpm, "oops" for the wrong keys and actually forgetting the lyrics - again personalising the performance that now has warmer touches. Bringing things full-circle with 'Mercedes' from his first album 'Big City Secrets', a song that runs away like a steam-train, harmonica wailing and riffs blazing, a song with guts spilled. Having painted the devil for us  Joseph bids his leave with 'You've Been Loved'  - "...you've been loved, all along the way...what you gonna do with your love...", comforting Universal reminders in a lonely world of some 6 Billion or so.