Josh Joplin - Projector Head (CD)

All Music Guide

Projector Head, the precursor to Josh Joplin's breakout album, Useful Music, blends earnest, insightful songwriting with an alluring, upbeat pop sound. Joplin uses his Michael Stipe-like vocals as more than just a vehicle for lyrics, but rather as another instrument to compliment the rest of the band. Varying in style from spoken word to melodic crooning to anguishing screams to rapid-fire rap-type singing, he manipulates a lyric and truly delivers a song rather than just merely singing words on a page. Intensely studying the master songwriters of the '60s, like Dylan and Ochs, has provided Joplin with the wisdom of how to craft a tune, but he has taken this knowledge and injected his own stylistic approach to create songs of substance and intrigue. The re-emergence of the singer/songwriter has opened the door for several new artists, and Josh Joplin is paving the way for talented, articulate masters of their craft.

- Erik Crawford, All Music Guide