Ben Watt – Hendra/Fever Dream
By
Jesse E. Mullen
Both Fever Dream and Hendra are
excellent, mature albums by an artist who I was not previously familiar with -
I discovered Ben Watt byway of his association with Bernard Butler, a perennial
favorite of mine. But I am so glad that I did. The rich tones of his voice,
combined with Butler's tastefully tight, jazz rock-inspired guitar work make
for a compelling listen. But it's also the content of his lyrics that make both
albums such compelling listens. While I have not yet lived into my 50s - I'm
just barely 23 - the wry observations of life at that age, along with chilling
acknowledgements of mortality, keep the deep listener on their toes. While I
prefer Fever Dream by a hair, Hendra is also wonderful. (And worth the price
for "Young Man's Game" and "Golden Ratio" alone, I might
add.)
Caroline/2014/2016
