Combining abstract
storytelling with fiery musical cluster bombs, Benjamin Shaw has given
us a beautifully bitter debut that boasts both fragile innocence and
homicidal fantasy - an unforgettable and purifying experience. Get the
Pox.Press:
"A
'singer-songwriter' who obviously isn't happy with the connotations
that tag would bestow upon him. He's fighting to find his own voice in
a sea of tepid waters soiled by the likes of Jame's Morrison and Blunt." - Tasty Fanzine.org.uk
“Benjamin Shaw had a few more surprises tucked away than I first thought. I would definitely love to hear more. CD of the week.” – Nic Dalton (The Lemonheads),
Half a Cow.com.au
"Pools
of buzzing synths, effects and distorted cries. Like a nightmare Mark
Linkous may even have rejected from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ for being a
little too ‘ominous’." - Americana UK
"Brilliantly moving - 9/10" - The 405
"His
lyrics are delivered flat so they stick in your soul like a
stake...dangerous but completely seductive. Benjamin Shaw is a one-man
wall in a dark alleyway of sound, and I’ll be looking out for him.
9/10." - Music Emissions
"Benjamin
vocal's are very distinct and a whole host of adjectives can be used to
try and describe them but it's almost impossible to do so - 4/5." - Tracks Monkey
"Defiantly
lo-fi values cloak soul baring singer-songwriterliness as if essayed at
the end of a very long and uncomfortably active night, throwing
everything off course with electronic layers, noises and the
inscrutability of his lyrical worldview." - Sweeping The Nation
Apathetic,
suureal and violent...This is probably enjoyed from the wrong side of a
bottle of wine, like the singer appears to be - 7/10." - Die Shellsuit Die!
"Pockets of noise followed by a naive pop song fullof self pity and quavering emotion...Hopelessly catchy." - Unpeeled.net
“Magnificent.” - Jack Hayter, Hefner
"Alive
in a raw that almost lost years ago...Benjamin Shaw has proven that one
man and a bunch of sounds can make something different – something good
too. His acoustic based musings are from the soul, just as music should
be." - Chaos Before Predictability.com
"Distortion, self-deprecation, and humour. I can't wait to see what he puts out next." - Creative Intersection
"A surprisingly layered record...real swells of sound. A smothering blanket of melancholy...I look forward to a full album." - Song By Toad.com
"Like
if Mike from Perfume Genius replaced Jeff Mangum in Neutral Milk Hotel.
He is as emotional and fragile as Mike but as raw and jagged as Jeff,
which would please any lo-fi junkie. - Well Adjusted Polar Bears
"If
you gave a young Johnny Cash a synthesiser, told Damien Rice a good
joke, sat them a-top a downy hill with a few salad sandwiches, by the
miracle of music, nine months later would arrive the immaculate
conception of Benjamin Shaw." - Never Enough Notes
"I'm smitten with this EP. Gorgeously simple and lovely." - Loveshack, Baby
"Sublime." - Manchester Music
"Folk
and other exeperimentations are used to build an inner world as
tortured as possible. Similar to Troy Von Balthazar, with more Prozac."
- Converse Or Not Converse
“Every
word is loaded, and every crack in his voice is worth a million
monologues - this is the epitome of an ‘intimate' record…He's a
wall-of-sound. He's a genius. He's produced one of the best debuts I've
ever come across. I'll be looking out for this man. Everywhere I go.” - The Rock Machine
“Benjamin Shaw's vocals are very much his own." – I Shot the Deputy.com
"It comes packaged in a fantastic brown envelope style sleeve." - Rough Trade
"All
the songs are drawn together by Shaw's distinctive voice and his knack
for disenchanted storytelling. He really knows what he's doing -
9/10." - Archelons Gravity
“Intense would be the wrong word. It feels almost voyeuristic. Raw talent…it's the deal of the century!” – Audio-Democracy.com
"Ben
inspires a rare empathy in the listener - sharing his plight but also
the glimmers of light that work their way to the surface...Genuine
moments of laughter...the English trait of laughing in the face of
misery exemplified...Up there with the best of this year...on the 'to
watch' list for 2010 - 8/10." - The Music Fix.co.uk
"Defiantly ramshackle. The only fear is that Shaw's style may fail to attract the attention it deserves." - The Skinny
"Fastidiously DIY in sound...A ‘name’ for 2010." - God is in The TV
"Underground notoriety beckons - 8/10." - Rock Pulse.co.uk
"An alternative idol in waiting..." - Fractions Of One.com
"A
cracked and beautiful voice, with a series of gently electronic infused
laments of love, loss and disenchantment. Quite beautiful." - Subba-Cultcha.com
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Paypal? No problem pal! Just get in touch with us at
info@audioantihero.com
to organise a method of payment that you're comfortable with.
Also available from Rough Trade (London), Sister Ray (London),
Piccadilly Records (Manchester), Spillers Records (Cardiff), Norman
Records (Leeds), Southern Records (London Mail Order) & Half a Cow
Records (Australian Mail Order)
