Ben
Rosebush & The Brighton – A Wild Hunger (Boom Bands Music)
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Ben Rosenbush and his
band, The Brighton, have been honing their style for a few years, and you know all
the good things they say about practice (and honing). They released their debut
in 2010 to much acclaim and a respectable placing in the CMJ top 200 listings
for the year, and their songs of love and desperation struck a chord with an
audience just coming to terms with the many gentle pleasures offered by the new
indie-folk.
For their second record, the eight band members build
layers of sound that are complex and dense, yet they retain an calming, easy
sound. Rosenbush’s voice possesses a delicate fragility that is respected and
responded to by his band mates, who never outmuscle or overpower his subtle
tones. “A Wild Hunger” begins with “The White Stone”, which leads with a
fractured piano refrain, and a melody that’s almost Mccartney-esque, circa “Ram”,
or something similar. “Duluth” is equally impressive. Propelled by a rolling
acoustic guitar riff, steel guitar provides emphasis and the positive, sunshine
vibes radiate goodness. Though they take on plenty of serious themes, there’s
an air of hope and redemption present throughout the collection, and perhaps
that’s best represented on “Cowboy”, a tale of loss and unwanted change, yet
it’s optimistic and unexpectedly positive. A great tune helps.
Rob F.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.