Ben's Brother

BEN'S BROTHER
"BETA MALE FAIRYTALES"
(Relentless, 2007)


"Let Me Out"


Everybody knows that Dentyne Ice commercial with that really fun song -- "Kiss me again, 'cause only you can stop the st-st-st-st-stutterin'..." -- but almost nobody knows who performs it, 'cause otherwise I think the band, Ben's Brother, would be a lot more popular than they are. They hail from the UK and have crafted a terrific album of lo-fi indie-rock, infused with such charm that I'm sure it would appeal to a wider range of people than the usual lo-fi indie-rock album. Case in point: me, who has tried and failed to glom onto bands like Arcade Fire or Death Cab For Cutie.

I should point out that "Kiss Me Again (Stuttering)" is unlike most of the rest of the songs on "Beta Male Fairytales". (Don't you just love that album title as much as I do?!?) The tune provided here is an excellent representation of what the rest of the album has in store. Lead singer Jamie Hartman (whose allegedly overachieving older brother, Ben, inspired the band's name) mostly delivers the lyrics in a heartfelt, tender rasp which, surprisingly, never irritates the ears. As usual, I declined to upload what I think is the best track of the album (in this case, the wonderful anthem "Carry On") ... you'll have to marvel at that one for yourself.