Woken Up In Broken Places
Adhyaropa, 2025
9/10
Listen to Woken Up In Broken Places
The esteemed producer and songwriter Joel Arnow takes inspiration from Blake Mills, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois for these 11 adventurous tracks.
The warm ambience of “Get Up And Shake” opens with cozy singing and fluid acoustic guitar before crisp drums enter, and “Woken Up In Broken Places” follows with playful bass lines that suit the punchy, roots rock flavor.
Entering the middle, “Feels Like A Lonely Time To Be Alright” emits dreamy electric guitar and pretty female backing vocals thanks to the frisky pace, while “I Won’t Change My Mind” carries soulfulness amid the ambience and retro fueled melodies.
Closer to the end, “Bend Down Your Heart” welcomes nostalgic keys and Sophie Buskin’s cozy pipes to the heartbreaking album highlight, and “Everybody Wants The Same Thing” exits with nods to the Beatles via a scrappy and memorable finish.
A highly diverse effort that touches on jazz, folk, Americana and the undying spirit of rock’n’roll, Arnow benefits from the help of Michael Bellar (keys), Paul Orbell (guitar) and Alastair Ottesen (vocals) for this timeless body of work.
Travels well with: Marcello Zapperaeddu- Third Floor; Will Holshouser- The Lone Wild Bird