Beta-Made Fairytales

Life’s obstacle course has been particularly trying for Jamie Hartman. On Beta-Male Fairytales, the vocalist and chief songwriter of London five-piece, Ben’s Brother, relays myriad tales of falling down, being knocked back and generally losing out. However, he’s not the sort to despair, no. Jamie faces heartbreak and adversity with an inane smile on his face and (sadly, on this evidence) a greeting card cliché on his lips. Song titles such as ‘Rise’ and ‘Carry On’ give some indication of this record’s emotional timbre.
Nonetheless, though the message may be somewhat hackneyed, the messenger is not without talent. Hartman’s voice carries real emotional depth; equal parts honeyed and husky, it perfectly complements the swoonsome guitar-pop of ’Beauty Queen’ and ’Let Me Out’.
However, even the charming grit in the gravy-boat vocal can’t save the horse-shit platitudes of ‘Find Me An Angel' and ‘I Am Who I Am’ (the former a girl-gone-and-done-me-bad morose-athon, the latter a limp attempt at self-validation).
The second half of the album is altogether more interesting. Dispensing with the self-help sermonising of the earlier tracks, the piano-led ‘Bad Dream’ finds Ben’s Brother fully embracing melancholia. It suits them. Gospel-style backing vocals combine with strident guitar to create the spirited, sunshine-seeking groove of ‘Live’, whilst the delicate arrangements of ‘God By Another Name’ prove alluringly romantic. They’ve a long way to go yet, and I won’t be betting big bucks on them coming good – but overall, on Beta-Male Fairytales, Ben’s Brother are marginally closer to alpha than omega. Watch this space...