Written
by William Elgin, posted by blog admin
Ben
Brookes is a renewing blast of fresh air in a staid popular music scene. The
Motor Car & The Weather Balloon is a ten song collection that definitely
embraces classic rock and pop themes while still shaping them in a distinctive
way that speaks volumes about Brookes’ growing artistry as both a writer and
performer. Brookes enlisted some heavy hitters to help bring The Motor Car
& The Weather Balloon fully to life – chief among them is the presence of
former Badfinger members guitarist Joey Molland and Mark Healey. The latter
handled the production duties for the album and his contributions have an
immeasurably positive effect on the overall quality. The Motor Car & The
Weather Balloon is a polished sonic experience, but never so much so that it
sacrifices its palpable human qualities. This is an invigorating and ultimately
very human listening experience insofar as it pulls us into Brookes’ expansive
lyrical and musical imagination with minimal effort.
The
album opens with a brief swath of sound effects to set the scene for “I Wanna
Go Home”. There’s a strong sing-a-long quality to the song’s vocal melody and a
gradual escalating quality to the vocal that builds numerous small peaks into
the performance. There’s shades of both former Marillion vocalist Fish and Cat
Stevens in Brookes’ vocal tone, but the phrasing is all his own and sustains a
high level of attentiveness to the arrangement. Inhofer’s keyboard work adds
crucial color. “Asleep in Galilee” definitely has some obvious commercial
appeal from the first and the acoustic chiming carrying listeners through the
opening expands across an even wider melodic canvas once the song is moving
along in earnest. There’s some nice steel guitar fills coloring the song at key
points. The lush, languid sound of “Crack a Smile” gains even more thanks to
the patient sway of the vocal melody.. Brookes takes on each line with
consideration, never belaboring it, but investing it with every bit of passion
he can muster at a given moment. The lyrics are among the album’s finest and
convey heartbreak in an understated way.
Another
high point comes with the song “Before Sunlight” and it rates as one of Brookes’
best vocals on the album thanks to his phrasing and the spot on beauty of the
song’s vocal melody. He amps up the rock muscle on the track “Look Through My
Eyes” and the nimble stomp of its mid-tempo march packs enough melody that it
makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The electric guitar has enough bite on
it to catch and hold your attention without ever attempting to dominate the
song’s sound. “Siren” has some strong electric guitar work as well while still
retaining many of the balladic elements distinguishing so many of Brookes’
songs on The Motor Car & The Weather Balloon. There’s a little bit of
everything powering “Somewhere Around Eight” and it definitely transitions into
a raucous, mid-tempo rocker by the song’s second half. There’s a strong bluesy influence
spiking this track for a positive effect. Brookes ends the album with the
gentle lope of “Shackles” and it makes for an effective, perfectly modulated
conclusion with just a hint of the rustic influences we heard in the previous
song. The elegiac mood is punctuated by some lovely, even lyrical lead guitar.
Ben Brookes has talent that comes along only a few times per generation and it’s
heartening to see him receiving the support he deserves from some important and
talented collaborators. He’s come through with a debut release that poises him
to be a major talent for years to come.
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