Ben + Vesper - Honors

The Garden State's musical husband-and-wife team of Ben + Vesper fashion resplendent, left-of-center pop that is as strangely endearing as it is flat-out wonderful. New album Honors, arriving January 25 (Sounds Familyre), has a basic-sounding simplicity in the production style, everything is laid out without clutter or overembelished studio polish. That being said, we can also tell you that Honors is also a marvel of sophisticated pop songwriting, glorious vocal harmonies and creative instrumental arrangements. It's an odd but interesting dichotomy, drawing comparisons to the naked sound of early David Byrne/ Talking Heads, Ben Folds' excitable piano pop and classic off-kilter Steely Dan chord progressions --  but it also works. And plays well, too.

One major step for Ben + Vesper is the integration of a real, live band in the studio (and on the road) plus a spirited piano bit or two from friend Sufjan Stevens, adding both a sinewy heft to the proceedings as well as giving the duo and producers Daniel Smith and Brian McTear a larger if ever efficient palette to work with. Lead track, the two-minute froth "My Father's Eyes", can't decide whether it's more fun to kick or sway, so it does both, an agile juxtaposition of mood and pace. "Knee-Hi Wall" is all about stark guitar jangle, a witty, unpredictable rhythm section  and Ben and Vesper's transcendent harmonies.

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Ben and Vesper - "Knee-Hi Wall" (from the album Honors)

Ben and Vesper - "My Father's Eyes" (from the album Honors)

Photo Credit: Helen Michaelson