Radical Face
Ghost

THE REVIEW

Behind the name Radical Face hides a twenty-four-year-old with a classic name - Ben Cooper - but with a flair far from common. Momentarily setting aside the Electric President project born in collaboration with his friend Alex Kane (the promisingly titled new album "Sleep Well" has already been announced) - Ben decides to do it all on his own. The label is the same - Morr Music - but the luminaries who inspire him have changed.

The impression is that compared to the previous work, "Ghost" is much closer to him, it adheres to him more. He is no longer the exploratory youngster playing more or less skillfully with the "fantastic" world of electronics: yes, it’s true, not much time has passed, but Ben seems more confident in himself and his possibilities.

I'm not saying the new work is qualitatively superior to the previous one, but just that it is more suitable for him. He exposes himself and opts for sounds from the folk pop repertoire, also using traditional instruments: accordions, wood percussion (or hand claps? In any case, I prefer to imagine they are women's heels tapping to the relentless rhythm), flutes, mandolins; there are recurring marches, tight rhythmic bases alternated with airy and cathartic choral openings. The choruses are found in many tracks and it almost seems that the repeated words are necessary to exorcise the unsettling presences that crowd Ben’s imagination. A sort of profane requiem. For those unfamiliar with Electric President but who love the drawling voices in the Grandaddy/Pavement style, MUST have at least one Ben Cooper album.

Just listen to "Welcome Home, Son" to understand: in this track, all the ingredients of the album composed of young pop sprouts that make you dream of places as seductive as they are unreal.

Ben is an inspired visionary: "Ghost" is the most fitting title.