Ben Auld - Lemongrass

Cat. no: LPEL216
Format: LP
Barcode: 810096650191
Release Date: 16 Sep 2022
Genre: Indie

Ben Auld writes songs whose heartbreak and wonder reveal themselves moments after the warmth of their beauty sinks in, like slipping into the ocean on a bronzy morning

Whether he's singing about bookstores and porches or ghosts and spacestations, the Bristol, UK-based singer-songwriter imbues hi s straight-to-tape gems with a radiant AM pop warmth. And on Lemongrass, due ia Earth Libraries, that comfy songwriting crackles and pops somewhere between Roger McGuinn and Gram Parsons. Auld's debut record brims with homespun charm, dazzling melodies, and lyrics that burrow deep into the heart.

Throughout the album, the immaculately arranged compositions provide the perfect frame for smooth and rosiny vocals. Utilizing a series of reel-to-reel tape machines, Auld chose to meticulously stack his instrumentation rather than simplify; some songs have dozens of instrumental tracks, all assembled on tape. "I'd record three tracks, bounce that over, and then record another three. I did it alone and it took a long time to fgure out what was possible," he says. "I went through two four- track recorders, an 8- track 1/2" reel- to- reel, and fnished the album on a TASCAM 388. One of the biggest challenges of the album was fxing all the broken old gear."

With each new listen, Lemongrass becomes a fonder friend, Auld's heart-on-his-sleeve lyricism and intimate songwriting building a deeper nest. "The time is ours/ Our time is now," he insists on the psychedelic wonder of "Our Time Is Now", more certain and wide-eyed than urgent. Through frst love and heartbreak, dawns and apocalypses, Lemongrass keeps turning, collecting fickers of astral bliss with each rotation, Auld's thumping heartbeat at the core.

Tracks: You're A Ghost / Try Again / Sycamore Way / Worry All The Time / O Athena! / D4A / / Our Time Is Now / Lemongrass / International Space Station / Daisy