R.E.M.

Peter Buck and Joseph Arthur mumble through another moody anti-anthem—on purpose

Peter Buck partners with Joseph Arthur once again, trading post-R.E.M. expectations for a subdued blend of late-night guitar lines and murky vocals that resist tidy definitions. Arthur Buck’s second outing feels like a collage of fractured post-indie reflection rather than a bid for arena echoes.

There’s no grand reinvention here—only a mood of offhand intimacy, as if creating something for the sheer refusal to stop. The songs stumble and shimmer, rarely demanding attention but always aware of what's been lost—and who might still be listening.