As
Old Sea Brigade, singer/songwriter Ben Cramer creates a pleasing brand of atmospheric indie folk that pairs some of the looser Americana elements of bands like
Lord Huron and
the National with a lushly textured backdrop of treated soundscapes that evokes
Bon Iver territory. A native of Atlanta, Cramer spent the early part of his career helming various local bands before decamping to Nashville, where he began to operate as a solo act under the
Old Sea Brigade banner. Following the 2016 release of his debut EP, he signed with the Nettwerk label and spent a few more years honing his sound over three additional EPs, most of them produced and mixed by longtime collaborator Jeremy Griffith. With 2019's Ode to a Friend, Cramer offers his first long-form statement as an artist, and while the 11-song set doesn't veer very far from his existing canon, it does offer him the opportunity to stretch out a bit more and fully inhabit the world he's been building over the past few years. Working again with Griffith as producer, Cramer's dusty vocals unfurl over delicately plucked electric and acoustic guitars as ambient synth pads and dense layers of harmony wash across the stereo field. A creaky, upright piano threads its way throughout most of the album, lending a lovely and organic looseness to the arrangements which, despite their washed-out feel, show a great deal of forethought and precise layering. The songs themselves favor themes of melancholic introspection, longing, hope, and other aspects of the classic songwriter's emotional toolkit. Cramer manages a few standouts here like the catchy "Straight Through the Sun," the gently looping "Want It Again," and the stirring title track, which was written for a friend who took his own life. In terms of production and feel, Ode to a Friend sounds good and would likely make for a fine soundtrack to a long drive through wide vistas. ~ Timothy Monger