Skip to content
Elly Roberts reviews
Relentless/EMI
- Released: July 2007
- Rating: 10/10+
Beta Male Fairytales is music to my ears, and my soul.
This stunning debut album comes from five Londoners, who are about to shake upthe music scene, once and for all. With so much inane music around at the Britend of things, Bens Brother come as a long overdue breath of fresh air.
Picking up the song Beauty Queen on Ken Bruces show on BBC Radio 2, Isimply had to follow them up. Going to the playlist section I tracked themdown. And boy was it worth it. This is possibly the best British album this year,maybe the past few in fact. Each song simply wants to make me drool at thestrength of the songwriting: theyre catchy and very memorable even if theyrenot all singles potential.
With a singer Jamie Hartman – who sounds like a cross between Rod Stewart andTurin Brakes vocalist Ollie Knights (and at times Mick Hucknall), theyvealready released Rise as a single, to critical acclaim. The albumdefinitely deserves the same plaudits.
Theyre not your Keanes or Razorlights as such, who are fine bands, butthese lads are steeped in The Faces / Stewart tradition.
Their music is unpretentious and above all, credible. Around Hartmansmagnificent voice they have four top notch musicians : Kiris Houston (keys/guitar),Dan McKinna (bass), Dave Hattee (drums), and Morgan Quaintance (guitar). Astirring and soaring Rise is a perfect and glowing introduction totheir arsenal of talents.
Beauty Queen is equally impressive follower again with splashesharmonica and sprinkling of strings to envelop Hartmans emotive and powerfulvocals. Yet another beauty follows in the form of Let Me Out as thesteady beat, keys and more lashing of lush strings build to a rising crescendowith Hartman going full throttle without losing discipline.
Sounding like a Coldplay keys intro, Home glides gently until the understatedbeat arrives. Thereafter it meanders into keys and acoustic guitar to the fadeout. Bad Dream is a heartfelt tale of a love break-up with the man atbreaking point. A passionate Live lifts the mood dramatically, boostedby chick backups. Instrumental Harmonica in F shows they can be daring.
Theres no better way to end a brilliant album than hitting the tear ducts.Time, a bitter – sweet tear jerker from a pleading lover whos cravingfor some much needed attention. The clever use of sweeping strings andHartmans highly emotive singing adds to the potency of the message. Sob, sob.
Brilliant, in every way. Best British album of the year so far.
Weblink:myspace.com/bensbrothermusic
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Rise
2. Beauty Queen
3. Let Me Out
4. Carry On
5. Find Me An Angel
6. I Am Who I Am
7. Home
8. Bad Dream
9. Live
10. God By Another Name
11. Time
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.