Ben Harper, Ben Harper & Relentless7 - White Lies For Dark Times
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CD Details
Artist: Ben Harper & Relentless7, Ben HarperEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2009-05-05
Music Label: Virgin Records
Product features:
- HARPER BEN WHITE LIES FOR DARK
- Number with No Name
- Up to You Now
- Shimmer & Shine
- Lay There & Hate Me
- Why Must You Always Dress in Black
- Skin Thin
- Fly One Time
- Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)
- Boots Like These
- The Word Suicide
- Faithfully Remain
Music reviews of White Lies For Dark Times
Music Review: A Change In Direction, But It Is Still Great
Rating: 5 Stars
White Lies For Dark Times marks change in direction for Ben Harper. Gone are The Innocent Criminals with Relentless7 in their place. The changes that result from this are great, but that is by no means a knock on The Innocent Criminals (see my review of Lifeline for further discussion). However, Ben Harper is a versatile musician, and he has shown that he can deliver in multiple styles with White Lies For Dark Times being the most recent evidence.
Relentless7 is a three piece backing for Harper, and their sound has a much more electric emphasis than Lifeline. White Lies For Dark Times also has a darker sound, and Harper is nowhere near as upbeat. Harper's lyrics carry a sense of desperation and angst as shown by "There's nowhere to run/I've got no one to tell/My face has become a mask/And I'm not wearing it well" from "Number With No Name" or "Arms that hold you close/Are the arms that hold you back/While your world is under attack" from "Up To You Now". Other examples come from "Lay There & Hate Me" "I feel like an underpaid concubine/Who's overstayed her welcome" and "The Word Suicide" "The word suicide is irresponsible/Still you offer me a gun". It is clear that Harper is expressing a harsher reality than he did on Lifeline.
The change in lyrics is balanced with the change in sound from Relentless7. Jason Mozersky is a very good guitarist, and his use of distortion, fuzz, and "wah wah" pedals gives the instrumentation an edge that matches the lyrics of the songs. Harper's vocal delivery is also different. The first time I listened to the CD, the third verse of "Up To You Now" stuck with me as all the instruments are silent while he earnestly delivers the following lines in his upper register "There's no sound louder than war/And we don't have tomorrow any more". This has a striking effect because the technique is not overused. "Shimmer & Shine" is one of the faster paced songs, and it almost has a punk feel to it (but it's not quite *that* fast). It's about as upbeat as this CD gets, but things come back down quickly on "Lay There & Hate Me". It is a deliberate mix of R&B and rock, and Harper seems to have a lot of venom in his delivery. One other song worth specific mention is "Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)" is a nod to the sound of Jimmie Hendrix without being a cliche. Mozersky does a great job of conjuring up the image without coming off as a wannabe - no easy feat! Jesse Ingalls on bass and Jordan Richardson on drums provide a steady foundation for all of the songs.
Overall, White Lies For Dark Times is a bold change in direction for Ben Harper, but it would be hard to imagine a better result. The most important thing that it shares with Lifeline is that there is not a bad song on the entire CD. If you are hoping for the logical successor to Lifeline, you are likely to be disappointed. However, I would encourage all Ben Harper fans to give this a try because it is great stuff!
Download this: Shimmer & Shine
Description of White Lies For Dark Times
Limited two disc (CD/DVD) edition including a bonus DVD documentary featuring live performances plus their new video 'Shimmer & Shine' and a stack of photos. 2009 release, the ninth studio album from acclaimed singer/songwriter and Grammy Award-winner Ben Harper. Harper has now reunited with band mates met when recording Both Sides of the Gun (2006) Relentless7. White Lies For Dark Times is a timeless Rock record, with a cohesive collection of music that is as raw, unrelenting and thunderous, as it is arrestingly haunting and emotional.Alternative Rock CDs
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