There Will be

Notorious for both his cautious genre experiments and spirituality, Ben Harper seems to have finally pulled off a captivating change of pace on his sixth studio album, There Will Be a Light. After touring with The Blind Boys of Alabama in support of 2003’s Diamonds on the Inside, Harper was tapped to produce and guide the Blind Boys next studio album. Early in the sessions, Harper’s momentum took over and began leading the album’s direction under the direct influence of the Blind Boys.  

The product is a bluesy gospel album held together by a conglomeration of Harper’s puissant vocals and the Blind Boys’ soulful harmonies. Musically, Light is a throwback to the more organic sound of Harper’s first two albums, Welcome to the Cruel World and Fight for your Mind. After establishing his signature sound early in his career, Haper began experimenting with different genres, mostly unsuccessfully. After trying his hand at reggae, country, hip-hop, funk and hard rock, Harper seems to have finally found the answer to his genre-searching with his successful venture into both gospel and blues music, simultaneously.

Recorded in only two sessions, Light thrives on its spontaneous nature. In recent years Harper has worked for months tweaking his songs in the studio; the result has been clean, often generic sounding songs plagued by over-production. Generally known more for his tours, Harper’s music is often said to translate better in a live context due to its soulful roots and solid musicianship. With Harper not able to over-think the Light recordings, he’s presented a stripped down gospel album that thrives on his two prime assets: song writing and execution.

Aside from the serene instrumental “11th Commandment,” Light is led by Harper’s lucent lead vocals and the Blind Boys always spot-on harmonies. On the Bob Dylan-penned “Well, Well, Well,” the Blind Boys’ vocals create a stirring ambiance over Harper’s weissenborn slide and soulful vocals. On “Satisfied Mind” Harper swaps lead vocal duties with each of the Blind Boys over a subtle drum beat that’s bound to be, as per the usual for the Blind Boys, an attention grabber come Grammy time. “Mother Pray” is the best example of the Blind Boys’ past work, as they drop the instruments and rely on their soulful voices and signature a cappela sound.

Light manages to be more than another Ben Harper album, a good thing for Harper who was slowly becoming a falling star with each release since Fight for Your Mind. The mixture of seven Harper originals, traditional gospel songs and covers make for a set of songs as consistent as you’ll find in 2004. While many will miss The Blind Boys’ prominence, Light comfortably succeeds at balancing the grouping of two of today’s most bona fide soul acts. It will be interesting to see what comes next for both Harper and the Blind Boys. See you at the Grammys.      7/10

Written by G. William Locke