Benjamin Finger – For You, Sleepsleeper 7.2

                Benjamin Finger’s album reminds me of a mellow dream. Folktronica would be the technical term for it but the sound is considerably looser than most of that genre’s practitioners. The most obvious difference would be the busy nature of each song. Despite the slow nature, he creates an entire little universe out of personal field recordings, electronics, and guitar. Other folktronica may shy away from a repetitive beat (see Four Tet’s entire discography for more information on this) but Benjamin embraces it. 

                There’s a good balance between quiet and loud. Some songs barely have a beat, only disembodied voices and a guitar. Other songs are like “Drowned in Elbows” the longest and wildest song on here. You’re treated to the only horns on the album which feels a bit tragic. Ben has a pretty good sense of what to do with the other tracks as well. I enjoyed the mellow, early summer feel of this album. 

                My favorite songs were the quieter ones, call me a bit old-fashioned. The approach to the slower ones was quite nice. Some of the more humorous ones “Her Balcony Mouth” also possessed a certain charm to them. Generally speaking the sounds are pristine, clear, almost shocking clear at a few moments where I look around me to see if something’s behind me. 

                Really, this is a good album for cloud-watching. It is fun, mellow, and a pretty enjoyable affair.And the cover is gorgeous-looking.

Dosh – Tommy 7.6

Martin Dosh started out as a drummer according to his bio. That makes sense as the percussion here is of a tactile nature. Little tiny taps are given as much attention as the big kicks. Organizationally speaking, it is really a big draw of the album. Everything contributes to the rhythm, it kind of reminds me of some early Fridge or Four Tet kind of stuff, the way the drums feel so free.

                Of course, this would mean nothing if it weren’t for the melodies they helped structure. Generally speaking, I enjoyed the longer songs on the album, where he had more space to roam. The melodies are sweet, caring, charming. They require some time and patience, but are ultimately worth the effort. 

                “Gare de Lyon”, which closes the disc, is easily my favorite. Here you get to see all the themes he explored earlier realized in full. Bits and pieces are added into the mix to create a spiffy little track. It is so good that after you listen to it, you might want to re-listen to the rest of the album. All those things that escaped you the first time around are made clear in the second listening. 

                Parts of this are so well done you don’t even notice them at first. “Yer face” shows off his talent for queasy piano. And his voice, though not perfect, adds a bit of grit and charm to his efforts. 

I’m glad I randomly stumbled upon his recording, very glad indeed.