Ben Martin - The Endless Stream Of Everything

Ben Martin

The Endless Stream of Everything
Violet Noise Records; 2013

3.6 out of 5

by Matt Jensen

Ben Martin has been involved with music his whole life, starting his musical journey at the tender age of seven by picking up the guitar. In 2007 he started his own record label Violet Noise Records while somehow finding time to play in the band I Am Cereals as well as The Black Riders. While much has happened between then and today we will be focusing on the Endless Stream of Everything, which is his latest, and sixth, studio album.  It is a positive and uplifting affair, which contains hardly any downtime. I also thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the production was so good. Listening to this on a nice pair of headphones was really a great experience as the recording was very professional. According to Martin the songs reflect his personal transition from sadness and melancholia to a positive and optimistic view of life. 

The album starts off with a rather relaxed number that made me want to break out the hammock and start sipping on cocktails. The song eventually picks up some momentum. “Snow” is a fun tune with a couple of really original licks on the acoustic. Sometimes the song was a bit too poppy for me but you be the judge. Even though the song wasn’t my favorite the rich variety of instruments kept my ears occupied. “Heart in a Handshake” was one of the better songs on the album striking a good balance between upbeat enthusiasm and experimentation. You have to appreciate the songmanship and quality recording of the song. 

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