'Humble Beginnings' November 2010
Coolly constituting the stunning debut solo LP from former Trailers front man, Ben Parcell, this lush ten-track offering hears Ben's voice at its best. Opening with the subtly anthemic beauty of Close Your Eyes, right from the utterly entrancing off, the production values assert their presence, the textured mix of guitar, drums and vocals luring the listener in from the very first verse.
It's difficult to accept that Ben used to be a purveyor of punk music in his teens.
These days, his lilting ballads still the heart and lift the soul with their elegant sincerity, with the melancholic yet uplifting strains of The Only One and Things Will Never Change helping Bridlington songwriter Ben to further establish his reputation as a singer-songwriter par excellence.
Some of the songs featured on the album have been a long while in surfacing on record. Indeed, shards of material date from as far back as 2002.
To say that this record has been self-funded, self-produced and self-recorded, it is a remarkable achievement, and Ben genuinely does deserve every success with it when songs such as Owe It All To You, Second Chance and Expiry Date leap out of the stereo speakers with such heartbreaking abandon.
As gifted a lyricist as he is a multi-instrumentalist, it seems that it will be only a matter of time before Ben enjoys the mainstream recognition that he so deserves for his poetic sentiments and his acoustic-anchored melodies.
Review by Steve Rudd
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