Search - Ben Davis :: Aided & Abetted

Two years after his first album, The Hushed Patterns of Relief, was released, Ben Davis returns with his newest album, Aided & Abetted. This album is the result of 16 musicians and six production gurus from six states working together during four recording and mixing sessions. Unlike many other studio albums, the album is enhanced by the input from such diverse sources and individuals. Davis has accomplished the rare feat of crafting a full-length in the studio that is both cohesive and accessible. The album underscores a marked maturity that has evolved since his first album and is a calculated mix of melancholy rock and bright, textured pop. Davis and his collaborators draw from intense and impressive palettes to conjure an album brimming with verve and electricity. Co-produced by Davis, Jonathan Fuller, Nick Peterson, and Mark Smoot, the record is a menagerie of angular guitars, dynamic drumming, layered Rhodes pianos, and lush and harmony-laden vocals. The songs range from slow, heart-wrenching tales to vibrant guitar-driven numbers. Hints of Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys seep into songs that evoke the spirit of Davis's other projects, such as Sleepytime Trio and Bats & Mice. Davis?s fluid, effortless vocals often pair with Aimee Argote?s rich harmonies to devastating effect, held together and accentuated by brilliantly blended guitar work and a unique, powerful rhythm section. All "abettors" bring their own styles and unique visions to these songs resulting in a flair for the unusual. It is to Davis?s credit that he harnesses and directs the strengths of the individuals on the record to maximize their contributions to each song. Each member?s skill on the full-length is precisely measured and placed for optimum effect in Davis?s grand design and sublime songwriting. Aided & Abetted also features a multimedia section that highlights the making of the album and a comprehensive look at each contributing member. Davis provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the album?s maturation, from lyrics to studio footage to rough sketches of certain songs in mp3 form. He has provided listeners with not only a solid, glowing album, but also the album?s direct, hands-on development. This collaborative effort promises to be one that will certainly transfix listeners during multiple casual and intense encounters alike.