Ben Noble is a thoughtful musician who builds upon his craft, honing it to make it deeper, wider more resonant. Speaking to older musicians, and I’ll even just say north of 40, I hear people talk about how they have changed, gotten better over the years. Rarely do I meet a musician as young as Ben who is intentionally reading diverse literature and watching YouTube videos to improve his talent. It’s awesome and it makes him a better musician.
Since his last album, Whisky Priest, Ben has added a techno sound to his songs. I had the unusual experience of hearing him play solo for a very small live audience for an in studio performance. His voice is still gently falsetto and emits emotion. The themes are still about coming out of a dark place to create something beautiful. The performance felt personal and inspiring.
Then I got to hear him play with the full band at the Bryant Lake Bowl brought the songs to a new level. The full sound brings the music to a new level. Because of his stage presence and engaging voice, you don’t lose the intimacy – the full band just opens up new avenues to engagement. Ben’s music is always dreamy, the new iterations bring him into a dreamy technicolor.
(Added thanks to Patrick Dunn for the amazing photo!)
Mostly Minnesota 