Ben Maney And Countless Sheep - Drinking The World From A Glass
2008, Ben Maney And Countless Sheep
Ben Maney And Countless Sheep's Drinking The World From A Glass is a dark and lush sonic landscape for Maney's minimalist and mildly depressed folk/rock songs. Musically the disc is interesting and full of a repressed energy that catches your attention. Maney is a talented composer and arranger. On the performance side things come off a bit flat. This is likely more of a stylistic choice than a deficit in performance, but it made the CD a bit difficult for me to get into. Maney works within his vocals limitations to provide a coherent reading of his songs, but the general lack of range leads to a monotone feel that is hard to shake. That's not to say that Maney doesn't step out of that lull from time to time. Panther In The Snow is particularly intriguing because of the unusual string arrangement, and The Missing Frame stands out as an energetic song that strays into experimental jazz territory towards the end. The other big moment is the bluesy Green Apple Tree, where Maney shows the most vocal vibrancy of the album. The rest of the songs are well written/arranged, but the monotone feel becomes a distraction.
Ben Maney And Countless Sheep are an interesting listen. There are definite high points here, but the homogeneity of the vocals can distract you from the wonderful things happening underneath. This is a musician's album through and through.
2008, Ben Maney And Countless Sheep
Ben Maney And Countless Sheep's Drinking The World From A Glass is a dark and lush sonic landscape for Maney's minimalist and mildly depressed folk/rock songs. Musically the disc is interesting and full of a repressed energy that catches your attention. Maney is a talented composer and arranger. On the performance side things come off a bit flat. This is likely more of a stylistic choice than a deficit in performance, but it made the CD a bit difficult for me to get into. Maney works within his vocals limitations to provide a coherent reading of his songs, but the general lack of range leads to a monotone feel that is hard to shake. That's not to say that Maney doesn't step out of that lull from time to time. Panther In The Snow is particularly intriguing because of the unusual string arrangement, and The Missing Frame stands out as an energetic song that strays into experimental jazz territory towards the end. The other big moment is the bluesy Green Apple Tree, where Maney shows the most vocal vibrancy of the album. The rest of the songs are well written/arranged, but the monotone feel becomes a distraction.
Ben Maney And Countless Sheep are an interesting listen. There are definite high points here, but the homogeneity of the vocals can distract you from the wonderful things happening underneath. This is a musician's album through and through.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Ben Maney And Countless Sheep at www.myspace.com/thebenmaneyband. Drinking The World From A Glass does not appear to be currently available online. Keep checking Maney’s MySpace page for availability.
You can learn more about Ben Maney And Countless Sheep at www.myspace.com/thebenmaneyband. Drinking The World From A Glass does not appear to be currently available online. Keep checking Maney’s MySpace page for availability.
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