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Song of the Day: Ben Rosenbush and The Brighton

by Jon Schober

August 31, 2012

When “This Fire” starts its engines, you can immediately discern one thing: this is gonna be one really good song. The composition and structure that Ben Rosenbush and his Brighton bandmates have employed have a certain quality that’s unlike anything I’ve heard locally. It’s unusually paced and flawlessly flows between ideas. The volume and tempo grow and subside in all the right places, lending clout to why this band is classified as orchestral folk rock. And it really does feel like a full orchestra is playing at times during the piece.

Rosenbush is no stranger to composing and improvisation, having played cello with Jeremy Messersmith and John Mark Nelson. He’s a virtuoso on the instrument and has a warm tone that adds a lot to those projects. As a frontman, he’s just as confident, and you can almost feel him conducting the band, especially when it breaks down into a haze after the 3-minute mark. There’s some serious musical technique in the mix here and no idea is wasted in the process.

Ben Rosenbush and The Brighton celebrate their CD release show for A Wild Hunger at the Cedar with Rogue Valley and John Mark Nelson in support on September 6.

The full album is available to stream online as well.

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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.