大象传媒

It takes a deal of energy and purpose to get from Glenarm to Tennessee, but Ben Glover is the man to do it. He's just made a quality album without a major record label, relying on his resources, his great songs and enthusiasm close to home. 听

He's also roped in the musician-producer JD Foster, an ally of acts such as Calexico, Dwight Yoakam and Richmond Fontaine. He was charmed via the internet in New York, and then encouraged to visit Cullybackey for pre-production, before upping to Blackbird Studios, the same place that has hosted the White Stripes and Kings of Leon.

You may already know the potential of songs like Mercury Is Falling and The Ballad of Carla Boone. They've made the transition well, with the Nashville players getting the sense of it immediately.

It's a record that sits well beside the likes of Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin. It's Americana with a rock and roll attitude, happy to get down with the mandolins and to sing about grifters, lost souls and backsliders. It's a very visual record, full of detail, panning over the features of individual heartaches. 听

The embattled tones of Things Haven't Started Happening Yet are the most affecting of all. You can sense the challenge and the disappointment. But you can also feel Ben's pure grit. He's clearly equal to the task, and the song carries the listener there also.

Don't be surprised if this music accompanies some intense moments in your life, or if this transatlantic enterprise becomes a rogue success. Be it a real film or an imaginary one, The Week The Clocks Changed delivers a stunning soundtrack.

Stuart Bailie

Ben Glover
The Week The Clocks Changed (Mr Jones)