Album Review by EDF
After two independent releases on his own Chicken Butter label, Ben Arthur releases EDIBLE DARLING on the Bardic Records label. The Virginia native had no doubts that he would be making music, even if ‘The Artist Formerly Known As Waiter’ had to work in restaurants to make his dream come true. Even though he grew up listening to the likes of Pink Floyd, Ozzy, Zep and AC/DC, there is not a hint of metal in Arthur’s music.
The opening track, MARY ANN has some Beck influences in there and there is enough of Arthur in there to make the track his own. TONIGHT is a plea on not wanting to leave his lover and is complimented with some ELO type harmony. BROKEN HEARTED SMILE could be a sequel to TONIGHT, sounding like he has gotten over the split. Maybe it is just as well as hints of painful S&M sessions in the dark would make any man plead for MERCY. The beautiful acoustic INSTRUMENTAL #3 gives a nice end of part one type feel to the CD.
We then enter the country-folk arena with KEEP ME AROUND, a funny but morbid subject of what to do with his body parts when he is dead and gone. If that was not morbid enough, then be horrified or excited by EDIBLE DARLING, a tale about raising pigs so that you can eat them. Arthur has a cruel side to him as he smiles at the SIGHT OF YOUR TEARS. Guitar amps are cranked up to a long drone on the dream like WAKE, giving you the impression that the person is waking up, trying to shake away the previous night’s sleep.
Some of the songs are under three minutes making this an album that does not outstay its welcome. The songs are catchy and the slow ones do not outstay its welcome either. With a knack to write the sort of lyrics that are tongue in cheek, we have a singer-songwriter who is just bursting full of ideas.
