Ben Lester has been forging his own signature sound from an early age, combining intricate melodies, ambitious arrangements and a fascination with studio potential. Like his idol and sonic reference point Brian Wilson, there is the same melodic sophistication at the heart of his work, something rare in today’s pop world, especially from an artist still establishing his name and position on the musical map.
Having generated considerable buzz as he took his formative steps, he was lauded by no less than BBC Introducing; at just 19, he was already getting noticed in all the right places. This self-titled collection shows exactly why.
Opener ‘California Shakes’ seems to occupy a darker, more brooding world than anything associated with his Beach Boys hero, but perhaps that is precisely the point. There is a sense of this being a nod to the sorts of sounds Wilson might be juggling if he were starting out in today’s more indie-leaning musical landscape, and not being constrained by the record labels, and indeed Mike Love’s demand for chart placement and swift sales above all else.
‘The Moment’ moves closer to the sweet surf-pop territory that you might expect with chiming guitars and sun-drenched sonics creating a wonderfully luminous atmosphere. ‘Incandescent’, meanwhile, injects a greater sense of urgency and anticipation into the proceedings. Pianos provide both melody and momentum as the song heads towards a release of sonic tension which, intriguingly, never comes.
Then comes ‘In the Night’, which is where the chamber-pop approach takes on a more gothic hue. Chimming pop vibes and darker textures intertwine, creating something simultaneously elegant and eloquent, darkwoven and pop-like. ‘My Mind’ heads somewhere even more dreamlike, an ambient and blissful piece, cinematic and surreal, as though the sounds of a distant fairground are being carried through the song on a sonic wind, finding melodic semblance before churning, shimmering and gradually disappearing into the distance. Finally, ‘Until the Next Time’ provides a billowing and beautiful farewell, bringing the album to a graceful close.
Lester’s gift lies in his ability to make intricate music feel emotionally immediate, balancing classic pop craftsmanship with a sense of the modern zeitgeist. This eponymous debut is an album of melody, mood and imagination, proving that influences best used only as the foundation for something distinctly your own.
