The Hurting Business

AMG Review of The Hurting Business

Denise Sullivan
All Music Guide

Singer/songwriter and cracking guitarist Chuck Prophet breaks the Americana mold on his fifth solo recording, and pops urntablism and noisy Tom Waits-style clanks into his formal songs as an experiment. It works: there's the bouncy Farfisa-toned title song, and "Lucky" is an absolute hit single right in the minimalist pocket with its guitar, drums, Hammond organ, and falsetto vocals (all certainly atypical on a Prophet-style production). "God's Arms" has a melodious Eastern hymn spin thanks to swirling Mellotron and mando guitar subbing for sitar. Though Homemade Blood was his high-water mark, new listeners may want to connect with this so-called departure before digging deeper into Prophet's wealthy storehouse of songcraft.