Mutual Benefit Extend Arms to Vancouver

 photo credit: Danny Dorsa

Next week the Media Club will play host to Mutual Benefit, showcasing their latest LP Love’s Crushing Diamond. Named as Stereogum’s “band to watch” and by Pitchfork as part of their best new music category, Mutual Benefit are a striking example of the power and appeal of the well-crafted folk-lo-fi synthesis, and here’s why:

The group could easily fill the backdrop for Where the Wild Things Are, it’s hard not to picture running wild and free through a forest while listening to tracks such as Epitaph or Advantage Falconry. The band’s lovely and airy baroque-style harmonies are echoed by lilting violin and made stronger by the strum of a banjo or tap of the tambourine. This is true North American woodland music, whimsical, shining with youthful optimism and whispering of loneliness. Mutual Benefit excel at simple, hooky melodies and riffs that ring with beautiful cadence. There is something permanent and familiar about the groups album Love’s Crushing Diamond, like some near-forgotten childlike innocence.

Well received and critically praised, Mutual Benefit pull from a deep well of musical experience. The project is headed by singer/songwriter Jordan Lee and remains a fluid musical entity; having no concrete band to back him, Lee gathers various musicians, vocalists and alike to contribute to each of the projects efforts. This fact makes seeing a live performance that much more enticing, no performance is guaranteed to be the same.

Their show is slated for next Thursday, Oct 9th at the Media Club, and comes highly recommended.

Advance tickets available through ticketweb, more details available through Timbre Concerts.

Find a moment of peace, sit back with some crayons or finger-paint, and enjoy.

the Lion-at-Large