White Lies for Dark Times

Ben Harper And Relentless7’s debut work

One of the most important guitarists and vocalists of the modern times Ben Harper has always had an unusual approach to music harmoniously combining rather unexpected elements in it. His fan base is increasing slowly but surely with each of his new albums in many respects due to the fact that the themes of his songs always proves to be quite up to the point. Ben Harper’s latest solo creation, 2006’s double disc Both Sides of the Gun has once again confirmed his being attentive to the events happening in the world and given the world some new blues-rock and rock’n’roll hits. Last year the musician gathered a new team called Relentless7 with which he releases their first recording White Lies For Dark Times on which the collective Ben Harper And Relentless7 is credited as the performer. The band’s line-up includes guitarist Jason Mozersky, bassist Jesse Ingalls and drummer Jordan Richardson and undoubtedly the songs co-written by Harper and the band members find themselves among the talented and original musician’s best so far.

A more electronic sound on White Lies For Dark Times

The album White Lies For Dark Times is characterized with a much more electronic sound compared to Ben Harper’s solo records. Besides taking into account the fact that the new band’s members all come from Texas they bring the successful elements of the blues popular in their state. The album opens with Number With No Name, quite a heavy mid-tempo composition with a slight portion of introspection. The song Up To You Now does not only please with colorful guitar hooks but also with Harper’s amazing vocals combining perfectly with the impressive drums and electronic riffs. A more intensive track Shimmer & Shine is an example of the drummer’s splendid work and conquers with a contagious chorus while the composition Lay There & Hate Me is one of the most complicated on the record as it combines various elements: soul of the 1980’s, blues rock of the 1990s and even those of disco and retro. A contagious track Why Must You Always Dress In Black, a classic blues rock example with a successfully distorted guitar sound contrasts with a soft and very melodious song Skin Thin whereas Fly One Time once again surprises with a catchy tune that seems to have been written especially for a hit. The guitars amaze even more on Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart), a funkier number that takes us back to some earlier stage of Harper’s creative work, with an expressive solo being outstandingly good here. The song The Word Suicide describes the singer’s attitude to the today’s world events and is sure to leave nobody indifferent making one reflect seriously and the album closer is another wonderful ballad Faithfully Remain with one of the best vocal parts on the album.

An impressive and powerful masterpiece

It goes without saying that with each new album Ben Harper makes progress not only as a performer but as a songwriter, too. The new songs on White Lies For Dark Times have become the best confirmation of that. First, there is the eternal love theme here though considered through the protagonist’s own vulnerability but this time it is paid much less attention. Second, as every self-respecting artist Harper cannot help reacting at the complicated world economic situation that has inspired him to a number of rather successful metaphors. Musically White Lies For Dark Times turns out to be stronger than many of the singer’s works and of course those to thank are all the members of Relentless7. Besides the producers’ work cannot be overestimated and that of engineer Danny Kalb who has managed to take the maximum out of the instruments’ possibilities. Thus Ben Harper And Relentless7 has fully justified itself and we are only left to wait till the team releases its new masterpiece which is sure to be no less impressive and powerful than White Lies For Dark Times.