rEviews
the PERFORMING SONGWRITER Magazine
July/August 1998
DIY Column (Top 12 Independently Produced CD picks)
BEN GRAVES trio
Crazy Italians
Ben Graves is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music, where he was
awarded scholarships for vocals and saxophone, as well as being featured on
the school's promotional CD. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and
an M.F.A. in music from Washington State University.
But can he rock? The answer: yeah, sort of.
The Ben Graves trio seems more interested in grooves, jazz and inspired
chord changes than in your basic "learn three chords and let's rock"
approach. References to Dave Matthews are obvious, but Graves is more
stripped-down and acoustic. The title track is a good example; a
brushed-stroke snare pattern and accordion propel Graves' snapshot of
different cultures and the characteristics each possess. "Princess Grace,"
with its funky, fretless bass groove, is an ode to the late, great,
actress. "Direction" sounds like a less overwrought and more intelligent
Hootie and the Blowfish.
"Sometimes" features Graves' crisp guitar picking. He also handles dobro,
saxophone, and harmonica, and his melodies are consistently fresh and
inventive. Crazy Italians proves that all those years in school paid off.
Which should make his parents proud and please anyone else who enjoys
intelligent pop music.
--Neil Fagan
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SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN
December 10, 1997
BEN GRAVES trio
You've heard of sitcoms: this is sit-pop. Like Ben Folds and Squeeze's
Glenn Tilbrook, singer-guitarist Ben Graves delivers incisive observations
on the everyday in a honeyed voice. Lyrically Graves interacts with Oscar
Wilde, ruminates on "girls," and has run-ins with a "boss man." Fretless
bassist Mark Brunner and percussionist Dan Berkman lay down an ersatz Soul
Coughing groove, while Graves syncopates plucked chords in a style similar
to Dave Matthews. The first two songs, "Princess Grace" and "Direction,"
have the happy-go-lucky feeling of Matthews' "Under the Table and Dreaming".
The sparse opening of "Sometimes," featuring just Graves' vocal and
fingerpicked guitar, momentarily moves into James Taylor territory as
Graves waxes saccharine with lines like "Why is the sky so blue / For
everyone else but you?" With this mix of easy grooves and smooth
roots-rock sensibility, it's easy to picture the Ben Graves trio playing in
supper clubs and neighborhood cafes alike.
--Howard Myint
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