Nineties singer-song- writer John Wesley Harding has been busy this
decade as a novelist under his birth name, Wesley Stace. His 2005 book
Misfortune earned him a pile of awards as well as a movie
option, and 2007’s By George was also warmly received. Harding
has always composed catchy, clever tunes, but, perhaps strengthened by
a regimen of so much writing, His current batch of songs ranks among
his catchiest and cleverest. These songs possess a rich spiritual and
relational depth that avoids becoming intellectually aloof, thanks to a
sharp sense of humor and earnest earthiness. The album also
profits from support by an arsenal of fine musicians, including the
Minus 5. The recordings’ lush yet cozy incorporation of orchestral
instruments moves Harding’s songs away from straightforward
singer-songwriter guitar fare toward late-Zombies chamber-pop
psychedelia. The band is unified by Harding’s vision, and the
subtleties of the performances expand the lyrics’ expressive meaning in
mature ways few artists attempt, let alone achieve. Stacked against his
own body of work, Who Was Changed fares pretty
well. Initial pressings include a bonus live disc. It captures
Harding’s rapport with his audience and includes several classics from
out-of-print releases.
— Michael David Toth
This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2009.
