BEN GRANFELT BAND – Handmade (2014)

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Seems there’s a lot of talent coming from Finland lately, and another of its exponents is the excellent BEN GRANFELT BAND with their album “Handmade”. Ben Granfelt is an experienced musician that was part of Gringos Locos, Guitar Slingers and Leningrad Cowboys, but he become more known for his partnership with Andy Powell in Wishbone Ash some years ago.
Besides playing in those acts since the mid-eighties, Granfelt has built up a solid solo career on the side, and the more recent fruit from his harvest is this brilliant record with the Ben Granfelt Band.

The star on the record is obviously Granfelt’s exquisite guitar playing, terrific tone and melodies, but he is an accomplished singer too, and the bandmates provide a warm, steady instrumental companion.
Right from the melodic opener “Going Home”, you can feel that this is an album with purpose, and sets the very high standard maintained throughout.
The guitar work on the bluesy rocker “Turning Point” is awesome. Just listen the ton of layers combining a wet riff, funky overtones and a killer tone during the solo. Granfelt never over-eggs. He evidently has the chops but unnecessary histrionics never hijack a good tune.

A slick riff and a poppy & catchy melody drives the commercial “Get Up And Go”, the fun and upbeat “Almighty Blues” echoes the late Gary Moore, while the superbly elaborated “Musicland” brings to mind Frank Marino.

Ben Granfelt Band also do a triad of covers in “Handmade”, and all are great. The velvety midtempo “Faith, Hope & Love” is from his days in Wishbone Ash, where Ben’s six-strings has some reminiscent of Jeff Beck, while the band’s version of Gerry Rafferty’s classic “Baker Street” is really intense and rocking.
But perhaps the most surprising cover is Pink Floyd’s Breathe from The Dark Side Of The Moon, renamed here “Breath”. Ben’s vocals are sweet, surrounding, while his guitar adds a truly own personality to the melody (his solo is more agressive but controlled). Wow, this man is a serious guitar player.

There is also a strong instrumental track properly entitled “Instrumental Madness”, but it isn’t a fretboard carnival, not at all: it mixes a Satriani-esque melody with the guitar bending of Tim Pierce and Jeff Beck’s tremolo arm. Killer stuff.
“B.L.U.E.S” has little to do with the blues, because it’s a funky, syncopated rocker plenty of dynamics, and then the short but fantastic closer “Home Again…” shows me again how great Granfelt is in his game; the best guitar player I have discovered in many years.
Seriously, Ben Granfelt is a six-string monster, never overblown, never boring, always imaginative and the tone, omg what a guitar tone!
If you want to listen something good, really good, don’t miss Ben Granfelt Band’s “Handmade”
Super, Highly Recommended.

01 – Going Home
02 – Turning Point
03 – Almighty Blues
04 – Get Up And Go
05 – Breath
06 – Faith Hope And Love
07 – Baker Street
08 – Musicland
09 – Instrumental Madness
10 – B.L.U.E.S.
11 – Home Again…

Ben Granfelt – Vocals, Guitars
John “Groovemeister” Vihervae – Bass & backing vocals
Marko “Nalle” Karhu – Guitar & Vocals
Kai Jokiaho – Drums & Percussion

BUY IT !
www.recordshopx.com/artist/granfelt_ben_band/handmade
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