Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore - Dear Companion

"This is only a song. It can't change the world." The chorus from "Only A Song", a track off of the great album, Dear Companion (a collaboration between Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, and Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk)), really sums up the gist of the album. The lyrics are real, the emotion is real, and I love this album for real. I've always been one to enjoy a good indie-folk album. Sufjan Stevens, Iron and Wine, Wilco, The Avett Brothers. All favorites. And in a lot of ways, this is similar. But its simplicity and meaningful vocals make this something special. I can't stop listening to it. Tempo changes, small yet unignorable builds, cool melody drop-offs. I just really appreciate the feel of it.

My favorite song on the album, "Try", is gorgeous. The pretty lyrics are easy to hear. And while it's not necessarily a happy song, it is incredibly uplifting. The song ends with, "Give, give, give. How to give it all to someone not yet born? It must be how we've learned to love." The song, along with the rest of the album, captures that desire to simplify everything in life into its beautiful essence. Life, death, birth, love, tragedy, struggle, achievement, the unknown. It's refreshing. I also really enjoy the tracks, "Something, Somewhere, Sometime" and "Sweet Marie".

Be sure to check out Dear Companion. The three Kentucky-based musicians created a truly real, simple, and lovable album. Also, a portion of proceeds go to Appalachian Voices, an organization trying to end mountain top removal coal mining. Be sure to check that out, and Ben Sollee's myspace page here. On Sub Pop Records, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore have definitely created something worth listening to.