|
Forget what you know about Ben Ottewell. Forget, for a
moment, that he is the gritty, blues-drenched voice of the amazing
and eloquently musical quintet Gomez. Forget that he has
been responsible for some R'n'B drenched songs over the last decade
or so with that band… instead, picture Mr. Ottewell as a
softly singing bard, accompanied by acoustic guitars and low-beat
rhythms. Do you have that image in your head? Now, forget that
too.
Ottewell embarks upon his first solo release, Shapes &
Shadows, in this way. The record begins with the strumming
of acoustic guitars and a slow rhythm that suddenly, inexplicably,
launches into an upbeat and catchy tune and then settles sleepily
back into its relaxed cadence. With Gomez, Ottewell has been responsible
for some of the most dynamic music of the recent past and his
solo record shows no sign of diverging from that pattern. Easing
into the driving rhythms of "Lightbulbs", Ottewell uses
horns and synthesizers to build moody, earthy soundscapes in between
the heavier rock'n'roll choruses as he lays on the beautiful lyrical
imagery. It becomes increasingly clear just how instrumental Ottowell
is in the crafting of many Gomez songs; while his is not the straightforward,
energetic approach to songs, he effortlessly builds walls of sound
and weaves in and out of heavier passages, creating within each
song a beautiful tapestry of sound and brilliant lyricism. "All
Brand New" sticks to a bit more of a symphonic acoustic feel,
nicely setting the stage for the old-timey instruments and light
stomp of "Blackbird" where Ottowell states simply, "There's
that line that I stepped right over/My, oh my, ten times over/
Carried a weight 'round upon my shoulder/ my, oh my, a ten-stone
boulder…" The lilting melody line carries as much weight
as the simplicity of the lyric, the banjo and fiddle creating
a moody scene that could place the tune with 18th Century Appalachian
folk music.
"Chicago" moves from stealthy, soft acoustic leanings
to full-on, over-the-top weirdly syncopated gritty rock and roll
and back again. This song is a conundrum in many ways, the off-kilter
rhythm being only one example of such. "No Obstacles"
takes a more mid-tempo approach than most of the record, straight
ahead and strong, standing in stark contrast to the piano and
string melancholy of "Chose". Perhaps the most Gomez-y
track on the record is the thickly produced and beautiful "Step
Right Back", a song that is filled with the kind of guitars
and melodies that make up some of the best parts of his erstwhile
band's catalog. The lyrics also take a more obscure route, alluding
to things unknown for certain, and relying on Ottowell's penchant
for subtle phrasing and imagery. The record comes to a close with
the relaxed strains of "Take This Beach", a song that
once again recalls Gomez immediately. The tune is slowly lilting
and has a certain seaside charm that lulls the listener into a
relaxed state of bliss, Ottowell's voice rich and gritty as he
slips into his sub-falsetto so perfectly, forming a beautiful
melodic arch over the softly fingerpicked acoustic guitar and
dense backing vocals.
Ottowell's Shapes & Shadows is nothing extraordinarily
groundbreaking when one takes into account all the amazing music
that he's made over the past thirteen or so years. If this record
came from anyone else, however, it would truly be a feat of songwriting
genius and musical brilliance. The way that Ottowell intertwines
amazing lyrical lines with beautifully dynamic arrangements and
integrates wonderful side instruments into the overall production
makes for an amazing record… one that will more than likely
garner as many plays as any Gomez record.
-Embo Blake
Check out more
reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the
chief
Like this article?
e-mail it to
a friend!
|
Ben
Ottewell 
