Benjamin Cartel – Write At Home
This is one of those creative albums that sounds like so many other artists you may have heard before, but can’t put your finger on. Despite that, Mr. Cartel’s musical conception of this 10-track effort is quite indulgent & attractive. The opener “Shut Inside” is instantly catchy & with all its familiarities does sound fresh, inventive & cool. Yeah, that’s the word, cool.
There are some plain Janes in the bushel, but that’s to be expected. The charming tunes far outweigh the less varnished melodies. For instance, “Not Myself” is rather plain & bolstered by the vocal treatment (Which I never care for. Echo & other manipulations & embellishments), but the supportive vocalist of Kendall Jane Meade (backing vocals) elevates the tune to an acceptable realm. All is forgiven.
Produced by Charles Newman (keys/guitars/percussion) & recorded in various locations Write At Home (Drops April 25/Mother West/33:48) even has Herb Alpert-type trumpet grazing through the melody in “Calm Down,” & “You Too” (with its Burt Bacharach-Hal David type of structure) — both again, plain tunes but reshaped by tender brass & Ben’s ever-present sincere vocal. These songs slide under the limbo stick by a hair, but they clear the bar.
This is Ben’s 4th solo LP after being with the Kaiser Cartel. Ben’s solo shtick is infectious pop hooks with independent sensibilities & ‘60s influences dipped into his own rootsy ardor to distinguish his style. Some tunes have touches of orchestration, horns, percussion, Beach Boys coloring & female vocal support. All thrown into a stew of retro-stylistic music that doesn’t sound dated just mindful of so many genres that came before it.
Years ago, A&R people would listen to an artist’s new LP & say, “Where’s the hit? There must be a single we can work.” For the most part, Ben Cartel (vocals/drums/guitars/percussion) has just that prescription for the A&R people. “Upstairs Downstairs” is pop single perfection (& even more so had it been released in the late ‘60s with 45’s like Shannon’s “Abergavenny,” & Peter Sarstedt’s “Frozen Orange Juice” – 2 artists who remind me of Ben today).
Ben’s voice is like many pop singers, but his magic comes through in his material because few dig in this vein. This rich melodic late ‘60s texture. Ben even drops back to a more serious mode while not compromising his pop mastery with “No Return” — it has a Strawbs/Dave Cousins alignment that runs through it. A more progressive-pop dalliance.
“Bad Ole Days” runs barefoot through a Leo Sayer world & again, Ben’s skill is on target with his musicianship. It’s enjoyable.
Highlights – “Shut Inside,” “Not Myself,” “Calm Down,” “Upstairs Downstairs,” “No Return,” “Bad Ole Days,” & “You Too.”
Musicians – Kieran Mulvaney (bgv), Ed Maxwell (bass), Probyn Gregory (tuba, trombone, trumpet, French horn), Ryan Smith (additional guitars), Mike Cohen (additional guitars/keys) & David Gould (lap steel/12-string guitar).
Color image courtesy of Tony Nelson. CD @ https://benjamincartel.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Video Premiere: Benjamin Cartel “Not Myself”