Hailing from Statesboro, Georgia, multi-instrumentalist Ben Reaves makes inspired sounding post-rock guitar music. An artist who clearly revels in the textures and tones, The Soul and the Soil, an epic and engaging instrumental, provides plenty to indulge in sonically; even the punchy snare drum sounds like it was the focus of much obsession. Guitars chime beautifully, building dynamically from sparse beginnings into a rich and rocketing wall of sound. There are hints of Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky alongside flashes of individual magic, made all the more impactful by Ben’s assertion that the track was written, recorded and mixed in a day.

The Soul and the Soil is colourful and dramatic, like it’s charged with the essence of that feeling you get when you’re incredibly moved by someone or something and it brings a lump to your throat – a roller coaster ride of emotions that reaches for the sky.

Paul Baird