the bennett cale project

Material: Imagine, if you will, a quiet Sunday stroll down Tobacco Road in singer songwriter Bennett Cale's home state of North Carolina, as the warm beams of sunlight dance through the treetops, setting free the rich fragrance of pine and oak. Now, fast-forward five years to a time when you're stuck amid the urban squalor of Hollywood, trying to recapture those distant memories. You may find your only salvation is song. It seems Cale does, by adopting an easygoing (though not countrified) approach to writing, epitomized on "Bikini Snow," in which he confesses, "They say we live in paradise/But something's not the same/I'm looking for my home of yesterday," combining James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" and Cat Stevens' "Wild World." Lyrically, Cale focuses not so much on the concrete reality surrounding him but rather the ethereal
landscape of emotions and images with a keenly analytical eye on the minutiae of relationships. "Little Red Light" is a perfect example, relating lost love as symbolized by an answering machine; "The only thing in my life/That's always there for me/Throughout all this strife/Is that little red light/On my phone machine." And though much of his work is laced with longing and sorrow, Cale leaves you with a feeling of hope for the future, as on "Find My Way Back Home" and "Movin' Slow," displaying an inherent understanding that time and potential for growth are perhaps the greatest assets of youth, which, unfortunately, few of us realize.
Musicianship: Cale's wispy, boyish voice calls to mind Cat Stevens or Phil Collins with touches of Sting's soulfulness. Not the most technically gifted, yet expressive and charming. The same goes for his playing, which drives the band's sound along a path jagged with hooks. A solid rhythmic base provided by drummer Dan Potruch and bassist Chris Cale lays ample cover for guitarist Mike Walters to run across the fret board with solos that cascade like cool drops of water, thanks to his Grateful Dead inflected guitar. Walters often laid back in the mix, relegated to rhythm playing, but on his own, he showed an understated taste that maintains artistic credibility and holds mass appeal.
Performance: Cale has a youthful, vibrant presence that is eminently likable, a bright, new face on the pop scene.
- Sean Doles

Bennett Cale sounds like such a nice guy. His smooth pop comes from the same place as the Dave Matthews Band and Toad the Wet Sprocket. His voice is slightly reminiscent of Jimmy Seals of Seals and Croft, which may explain his
cover of "Summer Breeze." Come to think of it, a summer breeze is a good description of his music, too. Warm, airy and kinda stirring.
The album kicks off with "Round and Round," which starts out as a preppy, acoustic number before kicking into a guitar driven, light stomp. "Falling Down" is a description as well as a plea to a friend who's given to escapism. "Long, Long Time" is bluesy and a bit lascivious as it asks an old lover to come back for a little more S&M. (Maybe Cale's not so nice after all...) A lover's touch in the night is his cure for world-weariness in "I'm Alive." The title track is a troubled examination of morality; "Remind me of friendships and things that grow old/Remind me of hidden white diamonds and notions of gold."
Cale comes across as a nice guy who just wants a nice girl, have a nice time and make some very nice music. Ain't that nice?
- "Notions of Gold"

[Cale] recorded an album that just might go down in history as the best chance ever taken. Out of that effort comes a unique blend of Cale's original sound and a flashback to rock's historic past.
- Steve Zimmerman

The beauty of Cale's music is that he's very accessible to a broad audience. He can appeal to teenagers and can appeal to baby boomers or beyond. He's got the style that really is easy.
- Tim Cretsinger

"Top 100 unsigned bands of 2004" - None

"... a laid back strain of pop-rock -- easygoing, honest and soulful." - None