Singer/songwriter Ben Chase might be the Devendra Banhart of Brooklyn fried soul. Like Banhart, his folk revival group Bird Dog expresses the undercurrents of Americana soul told through an urbanite’s eyes and unique experiences.
While his gritty voice has the ability to chop up lines like a rusty nail, Chase’s matter-of-fact storytelling on songs like ‘Lost Teeth’ (streaming) and ‘Hard Luck Kids,’ belies the Brooklyn singer’s imaginative imagery and warm spirit. With lyrics like ‘I fell into a feeling I can’t explain’ from his just-released ‘River’ EP, it’s hard to think he’s quite as rugged as his last (and louder) release ‘Cabin’ conveyed. But their mix of salt-of-the-earth truth and idealistic romance will make Brooklyners feel at home on the range.
See the band perform when they play Spike Hill on Sun, July 15th with Lynette Williams. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – This artist submitted their CD for review here.