Singer / songwriter Ben Harper is a versatile artist, who likes to browse in as many different styles as possible. Two years after his gospel outing There Will Be A Light with The Blind Boys Of Alabama (2004), he released a solo album with Both Sides Of The Gun. On the first disc of this double album, Harper's subdued side prevails, with songs sung in whispers over a soft acoustic guitar accompaniment.
The versatility that characterizes Harper's work has disappeared here, in the nine songs he sounds like Cat Stevens in his younger years, most evident in the closing track Happy Everafter In Your Eyes. On the second CD Harper really gets loose and treats us to his trademark, a melting pot of rock, gospel, blues and funk. Although Harper sometimes wants to fall back in his songs on overly clichéd chord progressions (Get It Like You Like It), he is convincing here as a traditional musician and soulful singer. (MS)more
