Ben Musser Sentimental Fever
Something different from a singer-songwriter. Instead of a folky, alt-country approach, Wyoming’s Ben Musser applies soulful vocals to a smooth blend of classic pop & soulful Americana spiked with middle-of-the-road threads. Different. His voice, while not as friendly as say, James Taylor has a rough-hewed, polished tone which only complements the types of repertoire Ben specializes in. The arrangements have bite, verve & at times, sparkle. “New York Is the Place,” followed by the upbeat “And To Think,” are nice contrasts. Lyrics are cleverly woven; the melodies have a nice flexibility. Lots of likeable material in this showcase.
Produced by Grammy-winning Scott Mathews (Beach Boys, Mick Jagger, Van Morrison & Roy Orbison) & Ben. There are 12 pieces to his debut album Sentimental Fever (Drops May 1/Blackbird Record Label/49:23) that dig cleverly into themes of being a good husband, fatherhood, love lost, love found & insecurities. Quite a wide range of challenges set to original music recorded in Mill Valley, CA & Wilson, WY.
The sprightly “Never See Her Face” is a bit quirky, but its electric piano & upbeat application render it infectious & danceable. The electric piano tone is similar to the Alda Reserve style used on their ”Love Goes On” album. I don’t care for electric piano, but when it’s used in this manner, it has a peculiar style & spirit. Ben ripens it even more on “Falling By the Wayside,” but adds a cranky, wild lead guitar that is quite engaging. Wonderful performance. Creative.
The pensive “Downtown Tree” even features a toy piano tinkle with tender acoustic picking. Nice balladry. Some songs are not retro in the sense of rock n’ roll but minstrel (“Fearless Little Pearl”) & showtunes. Well-arranged & ambitious with lots of tight passages that would put a smile on the faces of Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael & Gershwin. Singer-songwriter Sam Leno wrote stuff like this years ago & at times, the old English music hall band Stackridge.
The title track “Sentimental Fever” reminds me of the quieter, ingenious pieces written by the late Harry Nilsson. Where, along with a fine melody, Ben inserts poignancy & keeps it simple & rhapsodic. Lovely music.
These were not composed on the fly to fill an album. There’s storytelling, reminiscing, recollections with a dose of retro flair that doesn’t render the work vintage but…satisfying. It’s a well-recorded album & Ben Musser is a well-articulated vocalist.
Highlights – “New York Is the Place,” “And To Think,” “Never See Her Face,” “Falling By the Wayside,” “Downtown Tree,” “Fearless Little Pearl,” & “Sentimental Fever.”
Musicians – Ben (lead/harmony/bgv/nylon & steel-string guitars/Silvertone & Gretch electric guitar/acoustic slide/upright, arco & electric bass/Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Grand & toy pianos/upright piano/synth/Hammond & pump organ/drums/percussion/tambourine/Omnichord/accordion), Scott (drums/spinet), Meg Chamberlin (bgv/harmony) & Walker Young (harmony).
Cover portrait image courtesy of Lindsay Linton Buk. CD @ Bandcamp, Apple & Amazon + https://www.benmusser.com/about
Song Premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2026/04/27/song-premiere-ben-musser-and-to-think/amp/
Music Samples: https://smithmusic.ffm.to/662582753622