BEN SCHANE
Antique Noises
Self Released

Ben Schane’s debut release is called Antique Noises. But disregard the title’s implications of dusty things past. This Texan’s music may feel as familiar as the past (in the best possible way), but more than anything it’s as relevant and now as a new sunrise. The album is skillfully produced by Britt Lloyd, who uses a gentle touch on these organic, unobtrusive and mellow (yes, mellow) songs of freedom and wide-open spaces. Schane is a talented craftsman with something to say that matters, and he takes his music both personally and seriously. His songs here are unassuming and heartfelt (lyrically and instrumentally), and they are presented with a confidence framed in genuine humility. Antique Noises is a subtle, modest introduction to a very talented new artist who, along with several notable others, is poised to break through the gate and take the Texas music scene in a progressive and exciting new direction. I hear his next album will be a giant step up from this one and I look forward to hearing it. But right now, Antique Noises sounds as refreshingly soothing as a cool breeze through a screen door on a hot Texas day. — R. SIMEON FRANKS