Benjamin Simon’s latest alt-Americana folk rock album, “Out of the Bowl’ has us tossing and turning, feeling wild and free!
Simon leans hard into his folk, country rock sound, opting for simple, raw, authentic lyricism, brilliant bluesy guitar arrangements, and generally being himself entirely. “Out of the Bowl’ is 8 tracks and just over 30 mins in runtime, but such a refreshing, liberating listening experience. We have little doubt that you will definitely save this album for future listening because it’s just that good!
It’s almost, dare we say, Beatles-esque in its warmth, originality, and likeability!
‘Scorching Sun’ opens fading in with exciting blues rock arrangements like the opening to a Western action flick. Irresistibly groovy blues rhythms and drums paired with stirring sliding guitar tones really make you feel like you’re riding out in the desert in full cowboy mode!
‘Oh You Know’ slows down beautifully into reflective, relaxing good ol country rock territory. From riding in the scorching sun, this literally feels like a much-deserved unwinding in the cool night, under a gorgeous sky around the fire. An honest, bare-it-all, rhyming ballad about perseverance, freedom, and more! We love how the track philosophizes deeply about everything under the sun and stars and has you swaying along in hopeful exuberance.
“Hello Creator” is a funny ol track, diving into whimsical, mystical divine reverence. Think ‘My Sweet Lord’ meets ‘Eye in the Sky’. Its delightfully harmonious and melodic. As per, the musical arrangements are just sublime, and here its joined in with ecstatic choral vocals. This is a track that makes you want to just look up and be grateful and send energies and love and togetherness into the universe and feel yourself receiving it back!
“Mighty Kick” slows the pace way, way down, opening with reflective, slow-burning string strums and wailing slides. Simon sings of an interesting Western noir tale, a drunk bounty hunter’s fatal lapse in judgment. We love the way he crafts interesting lyrical narratives that are set in the ways of simple country life. The emotional tone here is one of mystery, suspense, and a hint of seriousness.
We learn that this album was performed, recorded, produced, and mastered by Simon entirely in the comfort of his simple home studio. Emphasis on the fact that ‘Out of the Bowl’ is 100% human soul, spirit, creativity, and ingenuity.
Simon’s day job involves raising steelhead trout on a farm. He’s put many, many hours over the past years working on this album. One can’t help but feel innately that Simon is good-natured, a free-spirited and very talented artist, and we definitely would love to hear more from him.
Check out real scenes from his fisherman life and updates on his latest music on his Instagram Page, give him a follow if you’d like and share his honest, down-to-earth, but incredibly refreshing new Americana Western music around.
Stream ‘Benjamin Simon – Out of the Bowl’ on Spotify here:
