"highly inventive and intriguing, utterly brilliant and original, deviously good song craft" - Wildy's World music magazine "amazing, impressive, unique, unforgettable - absolutely wonderful" - Lipstik Indie music magazine
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intriguing - highly inventive - deviously good song craft - the Poet Laureate of Indie Rock
Ben
Rusch is a London-based award-winning singer/songwriter. You might not
have heard of him if you don’t live in Western Europe, but he’s cranked
out 16 full-length albums as an Indie artist, won or nearly won several
major songwriting awards, and enjoys extensive radio airplay in Germany.
Rusch draws on a wealth of influences and perspectives to create
nuanced, balanced Rock N Roll that not only entertains and provides
great melody but also tells a story. Nowhere is this clearer than on
Rusch’s latest effort, Oh, Yes!!
Rusch opens
with Fissile Isle, featuring an intriguing piano-based Rock
sound that's not too many steps removed from Ben Folds. The low-energy
vocal style is a matter of necessity for Rusch, but works perfectly with
his non-conventional writing style. The Daily Mail displays so
highly inventive song construction and a brilliant keyboard solo during
the bridge. The Daily Mail might not grab you on the first
listen but will keep picking at you with each successive spin. Ray
By Ray is an absolutely gorgeous tune framed by piano and guitar.
These two instruments create a safe space for a melody that will haunt
your subconscious to come out and play. It's a love song that eschews
current trends and revisits love as a romantic concept in terms of time
and place.
Ode To Your Body is a brainy love song, ala
Big Bang Theory. This song is ridiculously catchy. As Good As It
Gets will sound familiar to anyone who’s ever involved with someone
whom you've suspected is secretly psychotic. Lost any time lately? This
song will frighten you. Metaphor Pilot is a love song
ensconced in deep imagery that doesn't neglect the more difficult
aspects of love and relationships. The song is wonderfully written.
The
Lament of Catskin Arnold is a collegial lament for the prodigal
son, where the family is the cast of characters at the local pub. The
Ghost Of You Is In The Heart Of Me is a highly personal and
literate memoriam in song. It's the Poet Laureate of Indie Rock at his
most explicit. Maud's Ecstasy At The High School is a
transcendent song. Rusch casts aside the petty whims of genre to create
magic. This is one of those tunes you never shake; twenty years from now
you'll be walking down the street somewhere and this melody will
suddenly run through your head. You might not remember who Ben Rusch is
or where the song came from, but the song is utterly brilliant. Rusch
gets inside what might have been the crowning moment in one woman's
young life with a prescience that's mystifying.
Rusch hits a
wonderfully angular sound reminiscent of Ben Folds on Parachute Of
Sound before sliding into a satire of the "American Idol" culture
and the one-dimensional pop stars it engenders on The Pop Diva
Trajectory. Rusch is too smart for his own good and funny to boot
(and it's not a bad arrangement either!). The next two songs might
indicate a serious penchant for the band Yes. Bass Guitars in Heaven
finds Rusch channeling Chris Squire on what sounds like a Yes outtake. The
End Of Time features Steve Howe-style guitar work in rhythmic pop
tune about how to spend the waning moments of life. It's a great listen.
Rusch winds things up with The Masochist Song, a humorous
tidbit from a wonderfully disturbed mind. This one dances right over the
edge of novelty, but it's definitely worth dancing on the edge for.
Ben
Rusch brings high-brow Pop music to the fore with a collection of
stultifying and illuminating songs on Oh, Yes!!. Rusch
manages to build things up even as he tears them down, taking things
apart and song and subtly rearranging them in your understanding. Humor,
intelligence and deviously good song craft inform the process in one of
most original albums I've had the honor to listen to lately. Make sure Oh,
Yes!! is on your to-do list.
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unique - impressive - amazing - an absolutely wonderful
piece
Oh yes!!
is a very creative and interesting approach at a classical/rock album
that has me listening over and over again trying to hear the elements
that have been tastefully used through out this creative piece. Most
notable, not to mention most impressively, is the use of break beat
styled rhythms and dissonance chords to really hype up the dramatic
presence of the song. The 60's psychedelics, the 70's heart of rock and
roll, the 80's synth pop, and the 90's grunge and rock all make unique
appearances throughout the album. The most impressive part of all these
different genres mixed into one album is the fact that they all sound
very unique to Ben's impressive and finely honed playing styles. Is
there nothing this man can't do? Not to mention the wide array of
instruments used throughout, including electric guitar, classical
guitar, piano, bass, synths, bag pipes, and mandolin to name a few.
With some
songs being much more progressive than others, the use of chorus is no
longer needed as Ben Rusch's unforgettable voice will be stuck in your
mind. Tracks like Ray by Ray are beautiful ballads that don't need a
catchy hook as the entirety of the song forms something that binds to
the memory with its clarity and beauty. With that said, the chorus for
Fissile Isle is forever implanted in my mind. It's also impressive to
note that there are 17 tracks that are all very different from one
another, yet still make up one very solid piece.
The
lyrical content of the album will definitely make an impact on you.
Ben's very creative and artsy lyrics provide a whole new level to the
album. With a very Pink Floyd (circa Syd Barret) styled voice, the
lyrical content isn't far off either. Imagery, symbolism, and at the
same time some very straight to the point lyrics make this a colourful
album to listen to.
The con of
this album, and I only have one, is that this album would have exploded
with success if it would have been released earlier in a more relevant
time for his genre(s) of music. Having said that, it is an absolutely
wonderful piece and I enjoyed listening to it very much. I hope it gets
the attention it deserves, as art this well polished should be delivered
to everyone's door step for an amazing combination of something new and
something old.
If you
wish to purchase Oh, yes!! by Ben Rusch, it is made available at iTunes,
amazon, Rhapsody, LALA, ShockHound, eMusic, LimeWire, Napster, Nokia
Music Store, etc, worldwide for $9.99 CAN or $6.99 US.
Make sure
you check out his website http://benrusch.com
Derek Leduc, Lipstik Indie
magazine |
The OH, YES!! album: original, genial, musical indulgence - 5/5 stars
Is this album the best thing since sliced bread? No, because sliced bread has never been anywhere near as good as this. With this album, Ben Rusch, musician/genius extraordinaire, reaches the latest peak in his musical journey.
'Fissile Isle' kicks off the album strongly, dissonant piano merging with urgent percussion and powerful lyrics as always. After a few humourous and sometimes personal songs, such as 'The Daily Mail', 'Ray by Ray' and 'Ode to Your Body', we reach full blown comedy in the Norwegian Wood-style 'As Good As it Gets', before 'Metaphor Pilot' and the concept-based The Lament of Catskin Arnold take us into a more profound realm of classic sonic beauty, joining 'Maud's Ecstasy At the High School Prom which was also co-written by Anamitra Deb.
As is to be expected with Rusch's work, the harmonies are perfect and multilayered, his knee deep tenor maintaining the depth of his choral style. 'Blue Forest' is a great example of Ben in full Irish jig mode, showcasing his top notch instrumental skills.
'The Ghost of You is the Heart of Me', cowritten by Simon Charlton, is pure musical poetry, the music following the lyrical lead. Finally, this album has a lot of instrumental work, such as 'Bass Guitars in Heaven', through which you can sense Rusch's playful nature, made even more engaging by his exceptional talent.
If you're looking for real music, for something different that's special and deliciously satisfying, buy this album now.
David Lewis |
Extraordinary, extravagant, unorthodox, exciting
Extraordinary musicians produce extraordinary music. The songs on the Time album, unsurprisingly, reach a high level of sophistication and transcend all conveivable stylistic frameworks. The music is uniquely rewarding and reveals new facets every time you listen to a song and allow yourself to become immersed in its appealing intensity. The flawless lyrics are full of fantasy, imagination and substance, achieving a near-literary level of sophistication.
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5/5 stars for the "Time" album
a fantastic album with a diverse range of musical influences (from more folky tunes to rather more progressive rock (6am) and modern ballads (last picnic, time) and a very strong vocal
Silke Goldberg |
5/5 stars for the "Time" album
Eclectic and delightful - a masterful combination of sonic textures, unconventional but accessible melodies, and very solid playing
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(c) Ben Rusch, 2009 - contact Ben at ben@benrusch.com
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