Ben Harper’Both Sides of the Gun’Genre: Alternative rockSounds like: Jack Johnson, Matt Costa70 decibels

Ben Harper’s previous CDs always bounced listeners back and forth – between hard and soft rock, funk and blues, even religious and romantic lyrics.

Harper hits on all themes again with his latest release, ‘Both Sides of the Gun,’ the only difference being the songs are better organized. Though there are only 64 combined minutes of music, Harper breaks the album into two discs. The first disc is beautiful Ben – sincere, deep and powerful. His second disc is harder Ben. It is loud, eclectic and political.

Lucky for Harper, he won’t offend fans of either style with his latest album. While most artists look to extend their repertoire as they go on, Harper mixed so many different styles on his 1994 debut ‘Welcome to the Cruel World,’ fans are used to jumping between blues, funk, jazz, acoustic and electric guitar. Harper gives them all again with ‘Gun,’ just in a more systematic way.

Harper has broken up albums like this before. On his ‘Live From Mars’ double-disc album, Harper’s music was harder, with his backup band The Innocent Criminals playing with each song. On the second disc, only Harper played, revealing his soft and melodic tunes on acoustic guitar.

This time around, he switched the order. Harper is never solo on ‘Gun,’ but he does slow things down with the first nine tracks. The album’s first song, ‘Morning Yearning’ and second song ‘Waiting for You’ are a soft mix of violin, acoustic guitar, soft drums and Harper’s melodic voice.

Most lacking in Harper’s latest album are the soulful lyrics that make him one of rock’s most beloved artist. They’re there in short bits, sure. But some songs are so off-base they’re devoid of much sense. On ‘Get it Like You Like It,’ from disc two, Harper references the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, then sings: ‘Throw your hands up to the sky / And scream I’m not alone / Is it irony or fate? / Don’t become what you hate / We’ve all got stardust in our bones.’

On disc one, though, Harper’s lyrics are often filled with angst, hope, love and despair. On ‘Cryin’ Won’t Help You Now,’ Harper hopelessly belts: ‘I just keep on staring / Into the black eyes of the truth / We’ll have to learn to live apart somehow / Cryin’ wont help you now.’

The very next track, ‘Happy Everafter In Your Eyes’ (the last of the first disc), Harper adoringly sings: ‘All that I can give you / Is forever yours to keep / Wake up every day with a dream / And happy ever after in your eyes.’

Immediately on the second disc, Harper changes gears, singing ‘Better Way’ with a Rastafarian beat in the background. The title track comes next as Harper’s funk influence seeps in. Soon Zeppelin-style electric guitar follows, along with blues and jazz samplings.

Harper gets political on ‘Black Rain,’ bemoaning the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina. On ‘Gather Round the Stone,’ Harper laments the War in Iraq.

On ‘Gun,’ the lyrics are powerful at times, but not like his previous work. And the rhythms are average for Harper. Ultimately, this is one of Harper’s weaker albums, but still worth a listen.

Published on March 20, 2006 at 12:00 pm