Joseph Arthur is a serious musician whose audience agrees with his mission. He raised money through a pledge drive, and the results were well beyond the goal—giving him further freedom to create the album of his dreams. Sessions in upstate New York, Brooklyn, L.A., and Minneapolis brought musicians such as Jim Keltner, Garth Hudson, Catherine Popper, Ben Harper, Paul Cantelon, and Joan Wasserman together to add color to Arthur's ambitious song cycle based on a fictional character close to Arthur's own being. "Currency of Love" starts with an orchestral touch worthy of glam rock. The title track is fortified with horns. A bracing heart-to-heart is found on the spiritually troubled and humbling "I Used to Know How to Walk on Water" and the honest reflection on addiction in "I Miss the Zoo." "It's OK to Be Young/Gone" breaks out a touch of T. Rex. Things conclude with two of Arthur's finest songs: "Famous Friends Along the Coast" and "All the Old Heroes," where he captures the vibe of The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street with his own words and way of getting there.