Ben Harper - “Winter Is For Lovers” (October 23, 2020)

“Winter Is For Lovers” is the Ben Harper album you didn’t know you needed.

By Matt Davis

In a change of pace for Ben Harper, the album “Winter Is For Lovers” is a departure from the usually light and uplifting feeling of most of Ben Harper's catalog.

The first of its kind in Harper’s catalog, “Winter Is For Lovers” is an entirely instrumental guitar album. This album strikes at the heart of much of Harper’s work with this thirty minute tip of the hat to classic blues. 

The subliminal smooth guitar work combined with droning undertones carries you through the entire album as if nothing happened. They say time flies when you are having fun and with Harper’s “Winter is For Lovers” you are transported from beginning to end without even noticing that you listened to the whole album. No need to skip around and find your favorite tracks, it’s all one cohesive work.

Harper’s meandering guitar work moves between tempo and cadences as he feels out the composition of each song softly and sweetly. At moments the smooth slide work feels smoother than a theremin and at other times you can feel the delta mud between your toes as the lap steel sings and rings of musicians past.