OH, YES!!

UK-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Ben RUSCH is among the busier of the music creators of our time, recording and releasing more material in one year than others do in five. "Oh, Yes!!" is listed as the 17th out of 25 items that makes up his discography as of March 2011, and was released in 2009.

And it is an album showcasing an artist with a lot of his mind. He has many thoughts, opinions and tall tales to tell, and those with a soft spot for song lyrics of the more eloquent kind will find a lot to suit their tastes in the material supplied by Rusch on this occasion. A certain taste for black humour will be needed however, as showcased by tunes such as As Good As It Gets and The Sadomasochistic Song in particular.

Musically this production resides on the borderlands between singer/songwriter and art pop in stylistic expression, with a few select left turns into folk and progressive folk territories. The pieces of a more simplistic and minimalistic nature the least effective to my ears, as many of these efforts tend to be slightly frantic in nature. Too much territory covered in too short amount of time, where a slower approach in general and for the vocals in particular would have been more effective. With aforementioned As Good As It Gets as a prime example. The lyrics does see to it that this piece as well as most others will be revisited anyhow, especially if you're in the mood for a good laugh.

Elsewhere we're treated to quite a few gems on this production. Opening effort Fission Isle with it's gently hammering piano, subtle symphonic backdrop, captivating percussional details and engaging recurring guitar solo theme a particularly strong effort, alongside the rather more experimental composition I'm Still Here (At Least I Think So), the latter utilizing sampled sounds of various kinds for percussional and resonance details, with gentle keys and vocals added to this strange but hypnotic sonic palette. Quite a few of the other songs manage to engage on a level beyond pleasant as well, like the spirited, folk-tinged number Maud's Ecstasy At the High School Prom and the preceding Celtic-inspired instrumental Blue Forest as two fine examples of just that.

If you enjoy art pop and have a liberal sense of humour alongside a general appreciation of artists with a lot on their mind presenting their thoughts, ideas and stories in a smooth and easygoing manner Ben Rusch is an artist you will enjoy getting more familiar with, and "Oh Yes!!" should be a nice place to start exploring the works of this talented guy.