Love's Crushing Diamond
When Jordan Lee\'s gentle vocals take shape in the fog of a baroque pop group tuning up and finding its footing, a sweet crescendo makes a pillowy landing. It\'s immediately clear: you’re in good hands with Mutual Benefit. There will be no cowbells, industrial collisions, pouty punkettes, or sterile, neon-colored synths. There *will* be acoustic guitars that sparkle, tiptoeing percussion, swaying strings, and vocals that wrap you in a cocoon of comfort and warmth: this is the music that would accompany a lone sailor on a twinkling sea of light in a Hollywood fantasy. No sharks here—just an adventurous spirit. The listener is swept away in “Golden Wake,” a tune that both lulls and delicately fist-pumps its chorus (“We weren’t meant to be afraid!”), all the while barely noticing a metronomic hiss weaving in and out of the piano and violin threads. “Advanced Falconry” billows softly, with strings and a muffled bit of banjo, while that maligned instrument shines more brightly (and with more pluck!) on the airy, pastoral “Strong Swimmer.” Jordan’s view is of the half-full variety, and this stunning debut makes the world feel right.
Throughout the seven gorgeous, baroque-folk songs from Boston outfit Mutual Benefit’s proper debut LP Love’s Crushing Diamond, the music can be described in a number of simple ways: loving, patient, warmhearted, and unfailingly hopeful.
A brief album about love and travel, baroque folk collective Mutual Benefit’s debut is every bit as intriguing as it is relaxing.
Not to talk shop, but a person that reviews records for any decent stretch of time manages to be emailed a shitload of…
Check out our album review of Artist's Love's Crushing Diamond on Rolling Stone.com.
Somewhere along the line, Sufjan Stevens decided to give up his banjo and embrace the keyboard, Devendra Banhart got weirder than his sweet spot of "good weird," and Bonnie "Prince" Billy started appearing in rap videos.