Album review: Ben Bostick

When American singer-songwriter Ben Bostick released his EP My Country, I wrote that the future of country music in the United States would be safe if it were in hands like his. Upon the release of his eponymous debut long player, I have reason to believe that opinion is confirmed. That’s not just because Bostick is able to write and play to a high standard – it’s because of the breadth of style within his country music, and the fact that no matter what form of country music each of his songs takes, it feels authentic.

This suggests an artist who has a deep education: he’s listened to the albums, he’s studied how the songs are written, and he has found a way to exist within that lineage without it sounding like impersonation. This is noteworthy partly because of how voices work: a singing voice can suit certain styles of song and not others. Bostick has a distinctive voice, rich and gravelly, which is elastic enough to encompass different styles and stories.

The lyrical content of the album shifts from the serious (‘Paper Football’ and ‘Independence Day Eve’) to the outrageous and funny (‘The Juggler’), and all of it worth the attention of the listener. And while there may not be a theme at work - not everyone writes an album in an arc - the variety means this is a good first album: an introduction to Bostick's range and skills. As time goes on Bostick may find that he develops a musical sound that is distinctly his (as his voice is already distinctive) but for the moment I'll take the variety and enjoy it every single time.

Ben Bostick is out now.

www.benbostick.com

EP review: My Country by Ben Bostick

There may be no new stories in the world and only eight notes in an octave, but where music is endlessly fascinating is in the places artists find within the nooks and crannies of those stories and notes. Sometimes an artist comes up with work that recalls history and also casts a fresh light on it; that sounds comfortingly familiar yet different enough to be fascinating. There’s no formula for that – it’s a product of the skill and talent of the individual concerned.

American Ben Bostick’s five-song EP, My Country, is pure contemporary-nostalgic joy. Bostick knows his musical history – and clearly has a pedigree – and he delivers it in a delightful way. He has a rare voice – deep, commanding yet playful, seductive. He can sound like he’s laughing with the listener – sometimes at the listener, but not maliciously – and also deliver a song seriously when required.

The title track, ‘My Country’, is a hootenanny of a song – everything that is upbeat and uplifting, and raucous and funny, about country music. In defending ‘my country’ – his country music – Bostick makes the case for why country, at its contemporary best (as opposed to its dark past), is a music of good times and escape from the humdrum of everyday life. Bostick has a rollicking way of phrasing something so that it’s both an invitation and a challenge: ‘If you ain’t never done something that you regret/Then I’m proud of ya – now get’.

The other four songs are honky-tonk gems of self-awareness and occasional sadness, but there’s never a hint that Bostick will find himself in the mire. There’s too much strength in his voice for that – and too much assurance in the way these songs are written and played. He’s the closest thing to a sure bet that I’ve seen in a new artist in recent times – by which I mean I’d go to a show and buy an album without knowing anything more about him. The future of country music in the United States is safe if it’s in hands like his.

You can buy My Country on Bandcamp.

Find Ben online at benbostick.com