Whoever It Was That Brought Me Here Will Have to Take Me Home

To call the title of Martyn Joseph's new album unwieldy is to be excessively kind, because Whoever It Was That Brought Me Here Will Have to Take Me Home is two or three mouthfuls. While the title, like a good line of poetry, is a bit obscure, it's clear that this Welsh singer/songwriter has serious things on his mind. The opener, "Love Is," attempts to wrap its arms around all of life's experiences -- "The seasons and the storms/The euphoric and the norms" -- under the metaphor of love. In "Wake Me Up," the narrator, under a spell of "flashing lights and jamboree," seems to lose his way and longs for someone to rouse him from the dream. Joseph is a good singer, and his confidence brings the proper level of seriousness to these thoughtful song-poems. Musically, Whoever It Was works equally well, relying on spare, impressionistic arrangements of guitars, piano, and cello that aptly match the mood of the material. Occasionally, he also adds a bit of variety by overdubbing his own voice for harmony and by adding background vocals by Amy Wadge. There are infrequent moments that give one pause, as with "This Being Woman," a song that tries to include a list of everything -- "The sunflowers and the mountain paths/The olive groves, the gasping kiss" -- that encompasses the feminine mystique. Fans of smart singer/songwriters, however, will embrace Joseph's poetic vision. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.