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- April 27, 2022
Ben Gage Calls Upon The “Cuyahoga” To Ease His Pain
On March 31st, Ohio-based singer-songwriter Ben Gage released his most recent EP, Cuyahoga, featuring the song “Cuyahoga.” An eerie ode to the famous river of the same name, Gage uses his guitar prowess to perfection, creating a soundscape that is very much reminiscent of the darker sides of Americana. His use of darker instrumental tones paired with his ever-so-slightly husky vocals creates a palpable tension that draws a listener in and keeps them there for the duration of the song.
The lyrics on this track are very straightforward in their isolation and pain (“Nobody’s listening/Nobody cares”), and though they seem to be secondary to the guitar – there is a phenomenal solo in the middle of the song – they still set the stage. Sending messages in bottles, waiting for responses, not receiving anything? It’s enough to make anyone feel isolated, and Gage does an excellent job of portraying that isolation.
Gage also does a phenomenal job of setting the tone instrumentally. There is a mix of traditional instruments and more electric elements. The drums are subdued, much as they would be in a traditional folk/Americana circle (as a drummer who has played in rural Arkansas before, I know this from experience), and the mandolin and what I believe to be a banjo give the sense of rural America in the best possible way.
Though this review is only about the titular song, I highly recommend checking out Gage’s entire Cuyahoga EP. If darker, more brooding Americana music is your thing, there are few out here doing it better than Ben Gage. “Cuyahoga” paints a vivid experiential picture, and it makes me want to step through and tell the speaker of the story that we are listening. We do care. Check out the EP below, and be sure to put Ben Gage on your “Artists To Watch” list. I’m excited to see what else he does.
