30 Apr 2024
Ben Kemp - "Nature described in song..."-Ben Kemp's "Papatu Road" album review
14 May 2006 // A review by Funky*Jazza
If trees could speak, this album describes exactly what they would sound like. Singer/songwriter Ben Kemp’s latest album, appropriately titled “Papatu Road”, really is a journey through a natural New Zealand sound and across a touch of oriental flavour. It is a somewhat difficult blend, but one that Ben has made work, almost effortlessly. This is not a surprise from an artist such as this, who is known to have an ability to amalgamate narration with composition to create, not songs, but acoustic experiences. Sounds complicated? Generally it is not.
The simplicity amazes the ear, making one wonder how something so weightless can pull your attention with such strength. The lack of over processing these tracks actually generates an even more vivid sound. This also gives opportunity for Ben’s intimate voice to overpower the songs not with volume, but with emotion. “Tuku-tuku” is haunting and raw, but later in the album, the lullaby track “Frangipani” lulls into a conscious sleep. The variation is resonant in the apex of the songs.
“Papatu Road” has many dimensions. Ben Kemp sings with an honest conviction. His distinctive voice is provoking with the opening track “Azure”, but it leads onto moments of pure placidness throughout several songs. It takes time to get used to the voice. It pierces primarily, but it develops on the ear, and the piercing becomes soothing. ”George” is an outstanding track capturing the core of vulnerability, and towards the end of the track, a commemoration. “..I can hear the sound of your heart..,” a line taken from “The tale of Karaka” defines exactly what audiences perceive of Ben Kemp’s style in this album.
The intensity of this album makes it an effort to listen to. It will take a truly appreciating music fan to understand the depth of the songs, which is exactly the standard of attentiveness it deserves. Ben Kemp is the antithesis of the mainstream solo artists dominating the charts. He is not afraid of bringing out bold, original songs that are not necessarily being craved by audiences yet. This album successfully displays this fact, and should be noted as a worthy addition to a diverse music collection. For a sound that imprints an emotion in addition to a melody within, then “Papatu Road” is the correct route to take.
If trees could speak, this album describes exactly what they would sound like. Singer/songwriter Ben Kemp’s latest album, appropriately titled “Papatu Road”, really is a journey through a natural New Zealand sound and across a touch of oriental flavour. It is a somewhat difficult blend, but one that Ben has made work, almost effortlessly. This is not a surprise from an artist such as this, who is known to have an ability to amalgamate narration with composition to create, not songs, but acoustic experiences. Sounds complicated? Generally it is not. The simplicity amazes the ear, making one wonder how something so weightless can pull your attention with such strength. The lack of over processing these tracks actually generates an even more vivid sound. This also gives opportunity for Ben’s intimate voice to overpower the songs not with volume, but with emotion. “Tuku-tuku” is haunting and raw, but later in the album, the lullaby track “Frangipani” lulls into a conscious sleep. The variation is resonant in the apex of the songs.
“Papatu Road” has many dimensions. Ben Kemp sings with an honest conviction. His distinctive voice is provoking with the opening track “Azure”, but it leads onto moments of pure placidness throughout several songs. It takes time to get used to the voice. It pierces primarily, but it develops on the ear, and the piercing becomes soothing. ”George” is an outstanding track capturing the core of vulnerability, and towards the end of the track, a commemoration. “..I can hear the sound of your heart..,” a line taken from “The tale of Karaka” defines exactly what audiences perceive of Ben Kemp’s style in this album.
The intensity of this album makes it an effort to listen to. It will take a truly appreciating music fan to understand the depth of the songs, which is exactly the standard of attentiveness it deserves. Ben Kemp is the antithesis of the mainstream solo artists dominating the charts. He is not afraid of bringing out bold, original songs that are not necessarily being craved by audiences yet. This album successfully displays this fact, and should be noted as a worthy addition to a diverse music collection. For a sound that imprints an emotion in addition to a melody within, then “Papatu Road” is the correct route to take.
About Ben Kemp
New Zealander singer-songwriter Ben Kemp spent his formative years as a child in Gisborne with mixed Maori and German descent, traversing the worlds of Pakeha and Maori, yet never feeling fully accepted by neither. As a man, he has sought and found his identity in the most unlikely of places, far removed from the rural outskirts of Gisborne, in the relentless hustle of Japan.
And so, from the Land of the Rising Sun, the son of Aotearoa returns.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Ben Kemp
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