There are a lot of musicians out there who sit down with an acoustic guitar and write quiet, emotional music. To extend that statement: there are a lot of musicians who sit down and write quiet, emotional music that sounds about as convincing as Saddam Hussein’s defence lawyer. There are very few musicians who write acoustic music with as much wit and charm as Berkshire singer-songwriter Ben Marwood.
From what I gather of Reading, it’s a pretty rubbish place to live, but there’s got to be something more to that little town off the M4, because Marwood’s mini-album, This Is Not What You Had Planned, is pure genius. The songs are simply structured and insanely catchy, and Marwood delivers his lyrics more like a poet than a rockstar. He speaks frankly, without pretension or abstraction, about emotions and experiences that we all know well. From the well-meaning aggression of “Question Marks” (notable for the line ‘I’ll tell you all about how Get Cape. Wear Cape stole my sound’) to the mournful sense of alienation in “Claire”, it’s a hugely varied listen. For me, the stand-out track is thoughtful anthem “Five Little Secrets” (‘but I never met a man/who regrets the way he felt/when your eyes first met/and your heart began to melt’). Marwood is a hugely talented individual, with a great voice and a unique way with words. It’s emotional, heart-wrenching music, with a dark sense of humour. This is, in all respects, a completely unequivocal recommendation: Ben Marwood is superb.
Track // “Friendly Fire” (mp3)
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