Chamber-pop melodies and intricate arrangements envelop throughout Ben Lester’s self-titled debut, a 13-track collection shaped by his admiration for Brian Wilson. Released through Mayfield Records, the album has earned critical acclaim alongside a BBC Introducing award, highlighting the London-based artist’s talents as a singer, songwriter, performer, and producer.
References to “California sun” combine with shimmering, bouncing keys as the album gets underway with “California Shake,” nodding to the artist’s idolization of Brian Wilson while showcasing his own impactful sound—here channeling a nice mixture of debonair momentum and catchy interplay of guitars and keys. “Everyone’s doing, the California shake,” Lester delivers during a resonant central chorus, straddling immediacy and stylishness.
Ensuing track “The Moment” is an utter delight as well, here strutting a more lounge-like piano presence that glides into Lester’s introspective lead delivery. “Gather your things, be ready to move,” he beckons in the verses, referring to impending change as organs usher in. A harmonious, pulsing piano shift reveals a stirring hook, punctuated by Lester’s wordless vocal harmonizing. Its range, between moody intrigue and glistening pop allure, is further exemplary of Lester’s strong songwriting.
The highlights are abundant from there, spanning from the jangly, playful guitar drive of “Dreaming,” which develops into absorbing multi-layered harmonies, to the heartrending qualities of “My Mind,” embracing a dream-pop immersion in its aesthetic and “search from within” lyrical prowess, soul-searching in its affecting maneuvering. Ben Lester’s eponymous album consumes across all 13 tracks, showcasing a love for nostalgic pop in addition to dynamic ingenuity.
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“The Moment” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
