This might seem like a ridiculous statement to some of you out there but Ben Cooper, aka, Radical Face, would definitely beat the crap out of Justin Vernon in a fight to see who takes the crown of best sensitive folky crooner. A fight no doubt refereed by Sufjan Stevens.
Before there was Bon Iver there was Radical Face. He’s better. Yes, I did just say that. Why? Well, he wrote an album that was inspired by a house, instead of merely going to a house in the middle of the woods and having a whinge about it; he doesn’t need over-the-top vocal treatments to make his voice sound interesting and well, he just looks tougher. That and the fact that he’s possibly one of the unluckiest people in music today, suffering as he does from severe back problems incurred as a young man which haunt him to this day, resulting in more cancelled tours than he cares to remember and more time spent on his back than is decent for any man. Finally, he’s coming, and yes, he probably will be sitting down for this show because he is in a lot of pain at the moment but he doesn’t care. Bon Iver would have released a bloody press wankathon if he had to cancel even one show because he lost a plectrum. I’m not a Bon Iver fan.
His 2007 album Ghost is a modern classic, you should drop what you’re doing and go out to the nearest independent record shop right now and buy it. Oh, the show is sold out too by the way. Obviously there are some of you out there in Berlin who still have some individual musical taste intact, that doesn’t adhere to what Pitchfork tells you to listen to.
His recent record, 2011′s The Family Tree: The Roots continues the concept album angle by focussing on several generations of a fictional family in 19th century America. Needless to say it’s depth will keep us all happy until the next record, he can take his time.
This is Welcome Home from Ghost and the adorable video for Doorways below from the Touch The Sky EP:
