Music Review: Ben Hammond

As many of my readers are aware already, I download a lot of music from Jamendo. It is a case of hit and miss most of the time, but yesterday I happened upon Ben Hammond, a very talented roving musician. He has two beautiful albums on Jamendo, [Reasonably] Honest features two tracks, whilst the No History Sessions EP has an offering of four tracks. I listened to [Reasonably] Honest first and was surprised by his smooth voice reminiscent of a young Stevie Wonder if he was merged with the likes of Michael Buble, acoustic work that rivals any high profile guitarist, high quality recording and editing. This was carried through to the other album as well, though it considered more mainstream pop than the previous. Some people might consider this a bad thing, but much of what pop music lacks in recent times is the credibility that an independent artist brings to the table.

Music Review: A Simple Life by Josh Woodward

A while back I stumbled upon Josh Woodward's official website. After listening to some of his tunes I downloaded some albums and have became a fan because of it. I am continually lurking around the website, downloading new tracks and albums as they become available. Singer/Songwriter Josh Woodward is a talented musician in his in own right, strong both vocally and instrumentally. His work on the guitar is simply gorgeous and rivals many of the more publicized rock groups today. His vocals are quite strong, though the occasional earlier recording has caught him after a long, throat-destroying set, and does not do justice to his wonderful voice.
Woodward has produced many good songs over the past few years, and with the more recent February Album Writing Month he has undoubtedly produced his finest work yet, with a double album entitled The Simple Life. As usual the music has strong acoustic roots, but there is something different about this compilation. Josh took time off of performance before he started, recharging his batteries and enjoying the well-needed break. In this album his songs are more relaxed, and are in essence, an extension of his soul. This might sound over-dramatized, but if you listen to his songs over the progression of time, you will the evolution of a boy to a man-sician. The songs show Woodward's gift for storytelling and showcase what is yet to come from this talented musician from Findlay, Ohio.

Music Review: My Place by MYHYBRIS

Here is a nice single by rock group MYHYBRIS from Jamendo. Both songs are of professional quality in the way of recording, performing and songwriting, and are well worth the bandwidth to download. While the first song is reminiscent of the likes of Incubus, the second song 'Cheer Blossom Soul' is more of a modern piano piece, thus complimenting 'My Place'. Below is the stream for your listening pleasure.

Music Review: Be Low by Amelie

This is a sweet synth-rock album by italian group Amelie. Allow the stream to load to listen for yourself. If you enjoy what you hear then go to Jamendo and download the entire album free and legal.