MUSIC review
by Amber Tatum and Steven Bonham
As the title suggests, singer/songwriter Ben Harper’s new two-disc album, Both Sides of the Gun, features a number of opposites. Aside from the two disc distinction between the mellow acoustic disc and the more rock-driven full band disc, Harper presents a genuine juxtaposition in thematic considerations.
On one hand he uses his album as a political platform (again) with songs like “Black Rain” -a response to Hurricane Katrina. But he also shows his ever vulnerable heart on the sometimes redundant yet arguably stronger acoustic side. With tracks like the sorrowful “Never Leave Lonely Alone,” and “Waiting For You,” Harper gravitates to his usual desperation. But on the other side of the acoustic gun, the final song, “Happy Everafter in Your Eyes,” awaits to cap the disc with the optimism of the full band tracks such as the stirring opener, “Better Way”. And by the same token, it seems that Harper is still searching for something greater than himself with every track he produces.
The California artist who introduced Jack Johnson to the music scene has one upped his most recent solo effort Diamonds on the Inside with a diverse sound that can be compared to the likes of Bob Dylan or Ray LaMontague. To be sure, Ben Harper has found his side of the gun and while he probably won’t change the world in his attempts, we love to listen to him try.
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