触动人心的吉他民谣,热情单纯的曼妙旋律,这是一张犹如嘉年华般热闹欢乐的美好专辑 。 向来对以插画作为封面的专辑特别感兴趣,卡通般的繽纷色彩,活泼的视觉构图,都令人不禁将目光锁定,仔细鑑赏,再来,则是开始对包装盒里头的神祕旋律产生聆听的期待。
Benjy Ferree来自美国华盛顿的一个虔诚宗教家庭,从小在教堂中学习歌唱,培养出极为优美的歌喉,然而他却梦想着演戏当电影明星,毅然决定踏入影坛,只是最终还是不了了之,回归到自己最熟悉的音乐领域,将这场超现实的好莱坞之梦寄托在歌曲创作中。最初他在家乡的小夜总会内自弹自唱,随着经验的累积吉他技巧越来越好,美好的嗓音也渐渐受到瞩目,终于在2006年成为Indie大厂Domino Record最新签约歌手。
首张专辑Leaving The Nest吸收了美国南方民谣的精髓养分,才华洋溢的Benjy Ferree,对绘画及电影有着深度喜爱,许多歌曲灵感皆来自艺术,惯以吉他唱出自己生活中的喜怒哀乐与悲欢离合,在模糊的美感中找寻生命意义。不论是Hollywood Sign中轻快愉悦的鼓声和优美口琴,或是翻唱自民谣大师Johnny Cash的歌曲Little at a Time,都带来浓浓的乡村风味,除此之外,In the Countryside有著60年代所流行的明亮节奏和朗朗上口的旋律,让人心情为之飞扬;如圣歌般庄重的弦乐搭配清澈的嗓音,Private Honeymoon则成为专辑中最迷人特殊的曲目。
人生梦想无数,无法一一实现,那让我们藉由Benjy Ferree的音乐,享受人生中最甜美的幻想与执著,如果你喜欢The Beatles的流行旋律、Iron & Wine或是Bright Eyes的民谣风情,那你绝不可错过这张欢乐而热闹创作专辑。
by Kenyon Hopkin
With a vocal style bringing to mind the quieter side of Jack White, reclusive singer/songwriter Benjy Ferree found success in his home city of Washington, D.C., after a failed attempt at an acting career in Los Angeles. While working as a bartender at the Black Cat, he met Fugazi's Brendan Canty, who encouraged him to pursue music. Canty ended up mixing his EP Leaving the Nest, which was released jointly by Planaria and Box Theory Records. Domino issued the record in November 2006 with additional songs. For his second album Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee Bobbby Dee, Ferree recorded a concept album based on the tragic life of child star Bobby Driscoll. It was released on Domino in early 2009.