By Hannah Simon | September 19th, 2011
From the light electronic pop beats and fun, uplifting vocals, you wouldn’t be able to tell that Ben Seaward used to front a progressive/post-hardcore band. Indie pop of this variety seems to just come so naturally to him. His debut solo album, A Matter of Moments, was written and recorded in his Hollywood, California home. It’s an impressive display of playful genre manipulation.
With its flawless transitions and dance-worthy beat, the opening track, “Type,” draws comparisons to Phoenix and sets the tone for the entire album. “Can’t Help,” the second track, has subtle, soft elements of the type of electronic rhythm you might find on a Miike Snow song. “Know How” has a lovely nod to R&B soft rock. And on it goes. Some of the tracks echo indie bands that I used to listen to in high school (does anyone here remember Something Corporate?) – but in a way that is surprisingly enjoyable. It’s as if Ben has matured that type of music, forced it to grow up a bit, so to speak. The effect is a hybrid of indie pop that manages to sound fresh despite its influences.
A Matter of Moments is a pay-what-you-want release on Bandcamp, but the first 100 people that tweet @benseaward get a code for a free download of the album! Be quick! I imagine that the downloads will go fast.