Ohio based, Jason Bennett, returns with his second album, Cows, but it’s about a lot more than seeing some cows. It just helps with the scenery if you do, and that’s about as serious as it gets for this indie folk, country, and Americana musician. The influences of Bennett are felt all over these songs, but only some of them are obvious, but it also includes a cover out of left field that you’d never expect to hear from Bennett or anyone else. And even though it’s all playful and nothing exactly serious, there are a few points and messages to behold.
“3rd Of My Life” is where the beholding starts, and life is also mentioned later, so you should know there’s a few patterns on this record, but you’ll find most of them diced about. I find this to be one of the standout tracks of the album, along with a few others to be mentioned, but he chose the right one to open the album. You only live once, so time is a thing to be managed and the song deals with how little time there is to live with all the things there are to do, and Bennett delivers it well.
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“Mystic Love” is Jason Bennett starting to have some fun with a story of intoxication and heartache, wrapped around a lovely piano. You get the picture, but as the next song comes a long there might be something to study. If you’re not aware of the rock band Steelheart, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out the original version of “Never Let You Go.” If not, make sure to listen to Jason Bennett’s take on it first, as he really transforms to song to another level, although the original is hard to top by anyone.
The point I’m making about Bennett, is that his version dares to strip it back unlike the Steelheart studio version. I just know it from the original album and it’s a remarkable song by anyone’s capabilities, and Bennet pulls it off without fail. You have to respect the whole idea, and his performance of it in the studio and you can tell Bennett is a fan of the original and wouldn’t do it any other way. Top marks go to him for such a good job on an old hard rock classic.
All these songs are substantially good to say the least, with “Wino Rich” doing the business, followed by “Seen A Lot Of Cows” which both help carry the day and pertain to the hot topics of the album. “Day Of Joy” is another highlight for me, with an instrumental piece that renders itself an earworm. “Escape” gets more lighthearted and jubilant, but it’s just part one of the album’s most notable pieces. “Life” also revisits a topic, and “Rainbow, Midlife Criss” and “Libertarian Blues” all keep up the same standard of quality songwriting and musicianship. And you can leave it up to Bennett to top it off with “Escape (Reprise)” as part two of the epic predecessor.
Claire Uebelacker