“Growing Pains” is the new single by Ben Eunson from his upcoming album “ACE”, available on August 23 on Ocean Road Sounds.
The track features Ben Eunson (Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Guitar Synthesizer), Alexander Claffy (Bass) and Kush Abadey (Drums). The track is produced by Ben Eunson & Michael Perez-Cisneros.
Composed by bassist Alexander Claffy and arranged by Ben Eunson, this piece is an interesting choice and sets the mood for Ben’s upcoming album. I am also a fan of artwork by Aaron Lowell Denton, something akin to the aesthetic of old classic record covers.
There’s a lot of different elements from the opening acoustic steel string guitar part to the fusion guitar synth sounds playing dark swelling chords. There’s some Tim Miller meets Holdsworth vibes before the catchy 80s melodic theme comes in. Is this a reference to the TV show Growing Pains or the actual growing pains experience? I guess that’s something I need to ask Alex when I meet him someday.
The interlude after the main theme reintroduces the synth swells creating some space before the guitar solo begins.
The solo starts with some tasty melodic lines before the darker dissonant phrases and legato runs come in. Ben plays a mix of both inside and outside phrases, fluid legato lines with over the barline phrasing, double time goodness, blues lines before returning with the piece’s melodic theme. The solo is not over though as Ben plays some great lines before the energy comes back down with the reentry of the acoustic guitar part fading out with the guitar synth swells. Ben’s lead guitar tone is thick with just enough grit, making it half Eric Johnson and half jazz fusion.
All in all, this is a cool preview of what Ben and crew has in store for the full album dropping on August 23. I for one am looking forward to listening to the rest of the tracks. Till then, if you’d like to check out a really cool track, check out Growing Pains.
TLDR: Like Ben Eunson or rock-tinged jazz? You gotta listen to this!
Rating: 4.5/5
You can purchase the single here:
https://beneunson.bandcamp.com/track/growing-pains
[About Ben]
Ben Eunson is a guitarist who is redefining the sound of the guitar for both the present moment and the future. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he began playing guitar at age 10 and has since established his presence as a prominent guitar voice based in New York City.
Known both for his individuality as well as versatility, Eunson has performed and/or recorded with a wide array of artists, including John Legend, Questlove, Lalah Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Valerie Simpson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Chappelle, Sandra Bernhard, Myron Walden, Marcus Strickland, and Dave Liebman.
He has performed extensively throughout the United States and around the world, including performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Detroit Jazz Festival, The Hollywood Bowl, and worldwide in London, Iceland, Switzerland, Morocco, Turkey and Australia.
Ben Eunson’s debut EP “Autumn” was released in 2015. His upcoming album “ACE” is set to be released in 2019.