Anyone with even a passing interest in the Australian music scene over the past decade should be aware of the work of Brisbane musician, Ben Salter, although which of his diverse array of musical projects they will have encountered is another matter entirely. The three that come to mind would be The Giants of Science, The Wilson Pickers and The Gin Club. Those in the know might not realise that he has released a solo album, The Cat, in 2012 and quickly followed it up with an EP titled European Vacation, released in late July this year.
The European Vacation EP was born from a project that saw Salter traverse Europe for five months, collaborating with as many songwriters and artists as possible. As sonically and thematically varied as its inception suggests; the European Vacation EP flits between genres as steadily as Salter moved from country to country on his travels.
So the theme of the EP is the journey itself – roaming unexplored territory looking for inspiration and finding it in some unexpected places. With tracks embellished and polished at Nowhere Audio, a small studio in Brisbane’s West End, Salter cements himself as one of the country’s most gifted singer/songwriters. As Tim Rogers puts it, “I firmly believe Ben to be one of the world’s great singers, and if I weren’t so goddamn competitive, one of its great songwriters.”
The EP starts with the dark offering titled ‘The Prophetess’, a meandering , sombre yet strangely delicate rock track. Vastly different to any of his other band’s related works, and yet you can hear the influences of each of those acts inside this track – the “nerdy intellectual rock” of his tenure in The Giants of Science, the unique amalgam of “folk, rock, country, soul and pop” with his time with The Gin Club and the “ridiculously strong songwriting” of his journey with The Wilson Pickers.
The 2nd offering, ‘Tremulous’ features the vocal talents of Christa Vi, a Australian/German singer/songwriter based in East London. The track has an almost lounge/deep house type of vibe about it. I imagine this would be a track that could be remixed / edited / sampled / mashed up and work its way into any number of huge clubs the world over.
‘Semi-Pro Gamer’ follows up with a quirky intro, settling into a cruisy groove. In all its atmospheric, harmony drenched pop weirdness. ‘All the Things’ is a standout track for me. I was completely engrossed with this track, an instrumental with what sounds to be just 2 guitars and a korg. It draws you in so very quickly – divine… just divine.
‘Dark Forces’ could certainly be a track that any of his bands could have had. That pop/rock sensibility Ben has is amazing. I see “radio friendly” all over this track. The layers of sounds and textures gives the song a depth that far transcends the already considerable beauty of the composition itself. My favourite track on the album. ‘Not Today’ is a timeless number for me, a song about roaming unexplored territory looking for inspiration and finding it in some unexpected places.
The final track on this vastly diverse EP, ‘Lecce’ is out there… very, very out there. I’ll let you make up your own mind. Buy the EP, go and see him live as he tours this great nation over the coming months. Well worth it.
8/10
Reviewer: Adam Barbuto