Ben DeLaurentis - Liar for a Muse (Self-Released)

Ben DeLaurentis is a singer-songwriter from Lynchburg, Virginia whose warm tones and heartfelt lyricism create an authentic, intimate experience for the listener. Liar for a Muse is DeLaurentis’s debut solo album after releasing three records with his band Steal The Prize. Almost every instrument is played by the artist, and it’s charming, homegrown quality gives it a mood similar to that of Paul McCartney’s Ram. The ambitions and the songwriting are both completely serious, but the execution is loose and vibrant as he delicately perches himself somewhere between scripted and improvised.

Like his band, there are strong overtones of jazz, but it’s subtler here from the moody “Fill In The Blanks” to the beautifully somber and understated guitar work on the title track “Liar For A Muse.” All the time he’s playing with traditional chord structures, and every song, especially the tender “Not A Doubt,” are filled with the ghosts of old standards; yet the real appeal here is how he subtly updates these styles for modern sentiments. As one would expect, Liar for a Muse is quieter than the work with DeLaurentis’s band, but it’s also much more refined and mature as if the artist has a newfound sense of direction.