New York’s maestro of shadowy lounge tinged pop Rich Bennett is back with a follow up to his stunning 2008 album Music for Underwater Supermarkets. Influenced by the classic exotica of Martin Denny, the aching folk-pop of Fleet Foxes, and the conceptual sweep of The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, Bennett’s latest work On Holiday is brimming with subtly dark, breezy melodies and the buoyant vocals of both Bennett and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Pronsky. From the gorgeous “ride on top a pop cloud” single ‘Misty Valley’ to the delicious minor key melancholy of  ‘Night Part 2’, On Holiday is as intoxicating as it is playful.

“…what we have here is much darker in tone bearing more resemblance to an amalgam of left of centre troubadours like Baltimore’s The Agrarians and the Mamas and the Papas.  The screwed up uncomfortableness of ‘Wild Ride’ is a good example of this… A dramatic, in the theatrical sense, right turn takes place with ‘The Peak’ taking us off in to a lo-fi journey into ambient electronica before ‘Night Pt1′ and ‘Night Pt2′ heads off into the arena of a soundtrack to a really cool sixties European movie… Much of the pleasure derived from it comes from the vocal interplay between the downbeat Mr Bennett and the civilised Rebecca Pronsky, but the lasting value comes from the almost wilful obscurity of it all. I can’t supply scientific proof but, trust me, it just works.” – Bluesbunny

On Holiday is available digitally from all good online stores and on CD, distributed through n5Mailorder. Check the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info and to stream the album in full. You can also grab the free download of the single ‘Misty Valley’ from the Hidden Shoal Store.

Read a full press release here.

Rich Bennett – Night Part 2 Rich Bennett – Night Part 2

Rich Bennett’s superb new album On Holiday has been available digitally for just 24 hours and has already scooped a 4/5 review on the Bluesbunny music blog! Visit Bluesbunny to read the review and scoot along to the HSR Store to stream the album in full.

Hidden Shoal Recordings has announced the digital pre-release of the forthcoming sophomore album On Holiday by New York’s shadowy lounge-pop maestro Rich Bennett.

Influenced by the classic exotica of Martin Denny, the aching folk-pop of Fleet Foxes, and the conceptual sweep of The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, On Holiday is, on the surface, ‘a day in the life of a vacation’. Brimming with delicious breezy melodies and the buoyant vocals of both Bennett and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Pronsky, the optimistic side of the album is typified by gorgeous single ‘Misty Valley’ and the expansive, home-on-the-range vibe of ‘Back Around’. The luscious contours of these songs are immediately inviting, but follow their flowing lines and there’s no resolution – just an anxious question mark.

The other side of the album, lurking like a shadow, is the knowledge that you’re in the middle of a fantasy and it’s only fleeting, soon to return to normal life. This nagging feeling of emptiness runs throughout, whether it’s the reflective whistling and watery phased melodies of ‘EPO’, the gloriously disorientating multi-tracked saxophone solo on ‘Night Part 1’, or the delicious minor key ‘Night Part 2’. Closing track ‘Green Memories’ casts doubt on whether the holiday was even real, its strings and woodwinds mustering a sense of intoxicating, queasy melancholy.

“brings together the sophisticated pop soundtracks of Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone with the electronic detail of Stereolab and Delia Derbyshire…. If you’re a fan of retro-futurist pop such as the High Llamas then this will be up your aisle” – Proper Songs on Music for Underwater Supermarkets

On Holiday is available now in all digital formats including lossless and will see its official CD release on 29th of July 2010. Check the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info including CD pre-orders. Read a full press release here.

Rich Bennett – Night Part 2 Rich Bennett – Night Part 2

Hidden Shoal Recordings has announced the release of the new single ‘Misty Valley’ by shadowy lounge-pop maestro Rich Bennett, taken from his forthcoming sophomore album On Holiday.

‘Misty Valley’ kicks off On Holiday in fine style. Influenced by the classic exotica of Martin Denny, the aching folk-pop of Fleet Foxes, even the conceptual sweep of The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, ‘Misty Valley’ is brimming with delicious breezy melodies and the buoyant vocals of both Bennett and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Pronsky. The single is a delicious taste of the wonders that lie waiting on the album.

“brings together the sophisticated pop soundtracks of Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone with the electronic detail of Stereolab and Delia Derbyshire…. If you’re a fan of retro-futurist pop such as the High Llamas then this will be up your aisle” – Proper Songs on Music for Underwater Supermarkets

‘Misty Valley’ is available now for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store. On Holiday will see its official CD release on July 29th with a digital pre-release on July 1st. Read a full press release here.

Rich Bennett – Misty Valley Rich Bennett – Misty Valley