Joseph Arthur's 'The Graduation Ceremony'

Joseph Arthur doesn't just create memorable melodies on his new solo album "The Graduation Ceremony" (Lonely Astronaut). He nurtures them with unusual arrangements and sounds. He decorates them with well-crafted lyrics and ideas ("You want everyone to look at you til no one looks away," he offers in "Face in the Crowd") in a style similar to his mixed-media artwork. Each song -- from the delicate, complicated single "This Is Still My World" to the dreamy ballad "Midwest" -- offers surprises, making "The Graduation Ceremony" the start of even bigger and better things for Arthur.

JOSEPH ARTHUR

"The Graduation Ceremony"

GRADE A

BOTTOM LINE Back to the inventive, mostly acoustic rock he does best