Years before he hit the road as one half of the Americana duo HONEYHONEY, Ben Jaffe kickstarted his career as a solo artist. He was a young Massachusetts native living in Los Angeles, rolling his sharp songwriting, multi-instrumental chops and vocals into songs that were honest and experimental. A decade later Jaffe returns to that career with Oh, Wild Ocean of Love, his first full-length release as a solo artist.
Trading the rootsy stomp of HONEYHONEY's three albums for an indie-alternative sound, Jaffe widens his approach with Oh, Wild Ocean of Love. These songs make room for a broad range of influences, from the polyphonic rhythms and improvisational freedom of jazz music to the soul and swagger of Motown. There are R&B ballads like "Everlasting Peace," where Jaffe layers his voice into gorgeous stacks of multi-part harmony, and dissonant rockers like "Dominator," where he shines a light on his skills as an inventive electric guitarist. Throughout the tracklist, Jaffe plays nearly every instrument himself, bouncing between drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar. The result is an album that doubles not only as a rejuvenation of the career he put on hold years ago, but also a showcase of the chops he's sharpened during his time with HONEYHONEY.
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