Ben Brandt - Solid Ground (2026)
BAND/ARTIST: Ben Brandt
- Title: Solid Ground
- Year Of Release: 2026
- Label: Katalex Records
- Genre: Blues Rock
- Quality: mp3 320 kbps / flac lossless (tracks)
- Total Time: 00:35:13
- Total Size: 82 / 238 mb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
01. Solid Ground
02. Matthews Tire Pt. 1
03. Burning Bridges
04. Fine Line
05. Parasite Blues
06. Matthews Tire Pt. 2
07. Under The Weight Of Us
08. Matthews Tire Pt. 3
09. The Seeker
10. Little Something
11. Scramblin (The Well)
On March 20, 2026, Ben Brandt released Solid Ground, his debut solo record, produced by blues rockstar JD Simo. The record features Brandt’s guitar and vocals, Theodore Pecchio on bass, Adam Abrashoff on drums, and, occasionally JD Simo on supporting guitar. Solid Ground is just over half an hour long, divided up into 11 tracks, with the tracks being segmented into three parts, separated by short, sweet instrumental jams, which happen to be some of the strongest work on the album.
The bad news: the album’s mixing could be better, especially when it comes to vocals. In several tracks, the lyrics were so difficult to make out that I tried a few different audio output sources, wondering if I had a speaker problem at first. On each track featuring vocals, it seems like a different mixing choice plagues the readability of Brandt’s words. Sometimes his voice is simply not prominent enough against the (often stellar) instrumentation (such as in “Burning Bridges”), and others there are effects added to the vocals that muddy the clarity (“Under the Weight of Us”). This is unfortunate, because Brandt is a fine singer with a pleasant high quality to his voice that contrasts nicely with distorted guitar.
The good news: vocal production aside, Solid Ground is an enjoyable blues rock listen with some interesting structural choices and fun melodies. The decision to divide the album into three sections with the instrumental jams (“Matthews Tire Pt. 1, 2, and 3”) gives the album a consistent soundscape. These jam tracks are very short, less than two minutes each, and each has a distinct musical flavor. The mixing on the “Matthews Tire” tracks is muted, which gives the interesting sensation of listening to a band from outside the room through a door. They are just long enough to create a sonic snapshot, a musical impression, and then deliver you right back into the meat of the album.
The standout tracks for the album are by far “Parasite Blues,” a faster rock-heavy track with a fun melody and solid backbeat, and “The Seeker,” an introspective personal number that feels like classic 1970s blues rock set to a crunchy muted fuzz rhythm and chimey lead guitar. Overall, the record takes several cues from ‘70s blues rock, from arrangement to drumming which works well within the simplicity of the composition.
The instrumentation on the record is excellent, especially the rhythm section. The bass and drums are absolutely holding down the fort, helping Brandt and Simo to shine on guitar. The only note I’d make is that the album could’ve benefitted from a horn section and/or some solid keys work to build a thicker sound.
Overall, Solid Ground is a respectable debut effort from a young blues rocker with plenty of room to grow. The structural choices indicate a sharp musical mind that has definite future potential in the genre, even if held back a bit by unfortunate production woes.
01. Solid Ground
02. Matthews Tire Pt. 1
03. Burning Bridges
04. Fine Line
05. Parasite Blues
06. Matthews Tire Pt. 2
07. Under The Weight Of Us
08. Matthews Tire Pt. 3
09. The Seeker
10. Little Something
11. Scramblin (The Well)
On March 20, 2026, Ben Brandt released Solid Ground, his debut solo record, produced by blues rockstar JD Simo. The record features Brandt’s guitar and vocals, Theodore Pecchio on bass, Adam Abrashoff on drums, and, occasionally JD Simo on supporting guitar. Solid Ground is just over half an hour long, divided up into 11 tracks, with the tracks being segmented into three parts, separated by short, sweet instrumental jams, which happen to be some of the strongest work on the album.
The bad news: the album’s mixing could be better, especially when it comes to vocals. In several tracks, the lyrics were so difficult to make out that I tried a few different audio output sources, wondering if I had a speaker problem at first. On each track featuring vocals, it seems like a different mixing choice plagues the readability of Brandt’s words. Sometimes his voice is simply not prominent enough against the (often stellar) instrumentation (such as in “Burning Bridges”), and others there are effects added to the vocals that muddy the clarity (“Under the Weight of Us”). This is unfortunate, because Brandt is a fine singer with a pleasant high quality to his voice that contrasts nicely with distorted guitar.
The good news: vocal production aside, Solid Ground is an enjoyable blues rock listen with some interesting structural choices and fun melodies. The decision to divide the album into three sections with the instrumental jams (“Matthews Tire Pt. 1, 2, and 3”) gives the album a consistent soundscape. These jam tracks are very short, less than two minutes each, and each has a distinct musical flavor. The mixing on the “Matthews Tire” tracks is muted, which gives the interesting sensation of listening to a band from outside the room through a door. They are just long enough to create a sonic snapshot, a musical impression, and then deliver you right back into the meat of the album.
The standout tracks for the album are by far “Parasite Blues,” a faster rock-heavy track with a fun melody and solid backbeat, and “The Seeker,” an introspective personal number that feels like classic 1970s blues rock set to a crunchy muted fuzz rhythm and chimey lead guitar. Overall, the record takes several cues from ‘70s blues rock, from arrangement to drumming which works well within the simplicity of the composition.
The instrumentation on the record is excellent, especially the rhythm section. The bass and drums are absolutely holding down the fort, helping Brandt and Simo to shine on guitar. The only note I’d make is that the album could’ve benefitted from a horn section and/or some solid keys work to build a thicker sound.
Overall, Solid Ground is a respectable debut effort from a young blues rocker with plenty of room to grow. The structural choices indicate a sharp musical mind that has definite future potential in the genre, even if held back a bit by unfortunate production woes.
| Blues | Rock | FLAC / APE | Mp3
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