REVIEW: Joshua Radin — though the world will tell me so, vol. 2 (EP)
An anxious little groove greets us at the front door of “This One’s For,” and while I first heard this song and felt admiration for its urgency, it wasn’t until I heard it in the full context of Joshua Radin’s though the world will tell me so, vol. 2 that I appreciated the sheer moxie driving its hook home. This is more than an inspirational piece; it’s got punch like you wouldn’t believe a folk song can in 2023, and the magnetizing weight of its instrumentation isn’t the lone source of its brawn.
When Radin gets his hands on a hook that fits his vocal style, there’s no slowing his role for anything — he has to hit the harmony with everything he’s got, and in some ways, this insistence becomes one of the greatest themes of though the world will tell me so, vol. 2. It’s understated in the likes of “Man of the Year” and the similarly balladic “Don’t Give Up on Me,” the latter of which contains the most incredible vocal he’s ever recorded, but it always has a way of shaping the tale he’s looking to tell in this EP. For this being an extended play, it often feels like a proper LP because of its detailed compositions and the attitude of its star player.
“Over the City” in though the world will tell me so, vol. 2 features a pretty homespun beat and a part riff that swings in and out of focus in a rigid spin, but its chaotic arrangement is essential to our appreciating the straightforwardness of Radin’s performance as a singer. He’s unmovable in this track, striking away at the verses like a logger in the middle of the woods dead-set on the task at hand, but he manages to avoid sounding even slightly robotic when it comes to the emotional subtext his words and harmonies are developing. Both this song and the multilayered “Don’t Give Up on Me” are so much more intricate than I thought they would be, having studied Joshua Radin’s first album as a refresher for this latest effort, but he never seems to be feeling the pressure of the compositional structure. He’s a wild man in command here, and whether he’s crooning or softly singing, he’s got a presence that doesn’t come from experience alone — this is a gift he’s sharing with the world.
“Neverland” comes in two versions on though the world will tell me so, vol. 2; a simple, radio-ready cut and a proper, album-oriented rendition that feels just a bit more durable, and to some degree, I think the differences between the pair of mixes spotlight Radin’s versatility especially well. Whether he’s on top of a burning blue verse or letting a deep cut play out like a jam session that doesn’t have a start or stop time set up ahead of pressing record, he is always the most powerful star of the performance (which is no small statement to make next to this intense arranging). All in all, this is the case for the tracklist of though the world will tell me so, vol. 2 as a whole, and I think it’s worth your time this summer.
Colin Jordan
