By Michelle Hart
It is said that a tiger can’t change its stripes. While Ben Harper may have employed a different backing band, “White Lies for Dark Times” sounds exactly like the old Ben Harper. In the span of fifteen years and eight albums, no sign of growth from is evident. Throughout his entire career, Harper has weaved a remarkable tapestry of different music styles including rock, blues, funk, soul and reggae. More often than not, however, this reads more like a music appreciation class than an evolution. In attempting to be unpredictable, the music remains as predictable as ever. He continues to experiment with different genres for each song, crafting music that highlights his Rastafarian-meets-Thom-Yorke-meets gospel vocals over the music.
Harper’s newest lineup grew from a long-time friendship between him and guitarist Jason Mozersky from the former band Wan Santo Condo. Mozersky and Harper remained friends and while Harper was in the studio recording “Both Sides of the Gun,” he recruited Mozersky to lay down some guitar tracks. This led to jam sessions, which ultimately led to “White Lies for Dark Times” four years later, under the band name Relentless7.
The band, comprised of Mozersky, Jordan Richardson and Jesse Ingalls, are irrefutably talented, though the problem with Relentless7 is that Harper’s vocals don’t mix well with the garden-variety rock on this, or any other of his albums for that matter.
He must be doing something right when he’s playing live, as he plays every summer festival every year. For some reason, the same passion he utilizes for his shows does not translate onto his albums. This problem becomes clearer with each album, as more focus is put on rocking. Quite frankly, Harper’s vocals are too soulful to be complimented with rock music.
The best on the album are either blues jams or ballads. The funky blues of “Lay There and Hate Me” and the mournful “Up to You Now” are both passionate and affecting. Similarly, the best song on the album, the acoustic, boot-stomping “Fly One Time” provides his unique and dramatic voice with the perfect background to shine. Harper is at his best when he is mellow.
Still, this is no different from his previous albums. His best songs from the album “Fight For Your Mind” were the slow jams “Burn One Down” and “Diamond’s on the Inside.” What at one time felt so original now feels incredibly formulaic and tired. In “Fly One Time”, Harper sings, “I’m caught in between what I can’t leave behind, and what I may never find.” Yeah, that sounds about right.