Ben Weaver
(Bloodshot)
In The Beatles' movie "Help" there is a scene in which Roy Kinnear, dim-witted assistant to Victor Spinetti's mad scientist character, makes recorded notes of every detail of very step of the execution of one of the duo's nefarious plans designed to wreak menace on the Fab Four: "I am moving my left foot. I am moving my right foot. I am moving my left foot..."
Judging from the songs on this disc, that's just how Ben Weaver writes a song: the employment of OCD in the creative process. And he relates the minutiae of his rather uneventful daily life very, very, very s-l-o-w-l-y. Ben sings all of his songs very, very, very slowly. He sings his slow songs slowly and he sings his fast songs slowly. He sings slowly in a house. He sings slowly to a mouse. He sings slowly in a car. He sings slowly at the bar. Ben Weaver sings very, very, very slowly.
Because of the dour, low-key, observational nature of his songs, Ben Weaver has been compared to Leonard Cohen. Listen: Leonard Cohen is a sometimes dark but brilliant romantic lyricist whose limitations as a singer do nothing to inhibit his ability to convey a wide arc of emotions, including humor, and who knows what funky be ("Lover Lover Lover"). Can the same be said about Ben Weaver? Maybe. But it's hard to imagine anyone but his publicist or Ben himself saying it. Be assured, next to Ben Weaver, Leonard Cohen is James Brown live at the Apollo hopped up on methamphetamine and Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso.
Of course, Weaver's music is fine, if you like this sort of thing. But most really good music reveals itself even to those who aren't necessarily fans of its particular genre. And in this case, "this sort of thing" is done pretty much only by Ben Weaver (and maybe the Black Swans). At least let's hope so. Weaver's music is described as "country-rooted Americana" because, well, he is from America and it's got to be called something. But there's a host of singers, songwriters and bands who make great music that fits that description: The Gibson Brothers, John Hiatt, the Waifs, the Band, and those last two aren't even from America. (Okay. To placate our brethren to the north and Band fans everywhere, technically Canada is part of America, it's just not part of the United States.)
But, to continue: Ben Weaver is no dummy. He gets off a good couplet here and there, and this being his fourth release, there must be some people who find something to like in his music. But if the number of Ben Weaver fans who aren't (1) employees; (2) masochists; and (3) Ben Weaver, is going to grow, he'd better start making music that doesn't beg ridicule and that can be listened to while driving long distances without nodding off and swerving into the path of oncoming traffic. Or wanting to.
Standout Tracks: "Churchill Downs," "Indianapolis Speedway" RICK ALLEN
