‘Bury Me In The Pantheon’ see’s Ben at his best – his familiar flowing fingerstyle on the acoustic guitar and disarmingly affecting voice exemplifies why Ben Marwood is one of Xtra Mile Recordings’ most treasured artists. The forthcoming album, ‘Get Found’ has been a long time in the making. After the successes of debut album ‘Outside There’s A Curse’ (2011) and the follow-up ‘Back Down’ (2013) – which include a sold out solo headline UK tour; a support run with Frank Turner across the US, and the very surreal spectacle of accompanying Mr Turner upon rolling green hills at his pre-show performance of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony – Ben wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to or even want to play music again.
A very intense year-long illness stopped Ben in his tracks and even though 2014-2015 was a surprisingly productive year of writing new songs, life continued to intervene, and this promising musician spent a year “embracing horizontal living”. A third album was anything but inevitable at that point. Yet here we are, in 2017, warmly welcoming another Ben Marwood record. After introducing us to little Ben Marwood in the cutest way possible on the opening song, it’s followed by ‘The Church of No Commandments’ which happily reminds us what we’ve been missing, with an energetic live thrust and gymnastic banjo plying the way for a phrase that soars ‘we’ll sing through every chorus as if we can stave off death’. On the last song, Ben utters ‘take your lullabies and fuck off’ before winding a song around the meaning of true friendship. That constant contrast is resplendent and displayed throughout.
The album doesn’t stray far from its roots but plays with them tenderly. Pedal steel aches on ‘Enraptured’, while ‘DNFTTTS’ is pure andante piano melody. ‘Nights’ chugs and spits before bellowing into the most uplifting-sounding chorus about death you’ve heard yet – and there are plenty to come. “I’m not dead, I’m not dying, I just can’t get up,” confesses Ben on ‘I’m Wide Awake It’s Boring’ as one of just two songs that directly reference his mental and physical state of that difficult year. Penultimate song ‘The Devil Makes Work For Jazz Hands’ dwells on death and immobility again (“the weight of the world is locked on your shoulders forever”) before sliding in a slick guitar solo and resolving into a plea of “you should know that you can’t fear all of the things you fear in the dark”.
Confessional and demanding of attention – it’s great to have Ben Marwood back.
Coinciding with the release is Ben’s first tour in over 3 years – taking in some of the UK’s best independent venues. Support comes from label mate Non Canon and on select dates, Helen Chambers. Full dates are:
APRIL TOUR DATES
6th – Brunswick, Brighton*
7th – Monarch, London*
8th – Southsea Sound, Portsmouth*
10th – Crofters Rights, Bristol*
11th – Bodega, Nottingham*
12th – Fulford Arms, York*
14th – Opium, Edinburgh
15th – Hug & Pint, Glasgow
16th – Gullivers, Manchester*
*with Helen Chambers on these dates
Pre-order the album here:
Xtra Mile Recordings – http://smarturl.it/GetFound-XMR
iTunes – http://smarturl.it/GetFound_iTunes
