New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Benjamin Jaffe announced the release his solo debut album Oh, Wild Ocean of Love on May 11th via Diamond Family Records. Best known as one-half of the acclaimed Americana duo HONEYHONEY, Jaffe steps into the spotlight with his debut and reveals his ingenuity as a guitar virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, writer, composer, and arranger. Along with the announcement, Jaffe released his new song titled "Susan The Cat," a sweeping folk ballad inspired by an odd roommate.
"It's always been easier for me as a writer to kind of access through proxy," Jaffe told Billboard. "It's easier for me to get to the heart of something and express the emotions if I have a little touchstone. I use these objects to access myself - not on purpose, it just happens that way."
Trading the rootsy stomp of HONEYHONEY's three albums for an indie-alternative sound, Jaffe widens his approach with Oh, Wild Ocean of Love. These songs make room for a broad range of influences, from the polyphonic rhythms and improvisational freedom of jazz music to the soul and swagger of Motown. There are R&B ballads like "Everlasting Peace," where Jaffe layers his voice into gorgeous stacks of multi-part harmony, and dissonant rockers like "Blooming," where he shines a light on his skills as an inventive electric guitarist. Throughout the tracklist, Jaffe plays nearly every instrument himself, bouncing between drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar.
Inspired by a wide range of sounds and texts - including Paul Simon, Beck, Randy Newman, and The Essential Chuang Tzu - Oh, Wild Ocean of Love explores the wreckage left by a relationship that's poorly-defined and headed south. It's an album about the full spectrum of love: love for yourself, for others, and even your maker. An album about lessons learned. An album about the realization that even in these chaotic times, it's okay to relax.
Last month, Jaffe released the official video for the lead single "Dominator," which debuted on Baeble. The song was first released late last year followed shortly after by "Blooming." Each song released will be accompanied by a new episode of "The Rearranger Series" in which Jaffe films/records the song in a completely different way than the album version. Episode 3 (Susan The Cat) is out now.
In addition to his solo debut, Jaffe continues to broaden his career beyond the confines of the recording studio and the stage. He composed, recorded, and produced the film score for Joy Joy Nails, a short film that screened at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, building on a resume in TV and film that includes work on the cartoon
Spongebob Squarepants and various other shows and films. He also appears in the new TBS series The Guest Book, alongside HONEYHONEY bandmate Suzanne Santo, in which the two play recurring characters in each episode. They also wrote the series' theme song and several other songs for the soundcheck.
Tour Dates:
03/06 - Atlanta, GA @ Eddie's Attic
03/07 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement
03/09 - Shreveport, LA @ Strange Brew
03/10 - Lake Charles, LA @ Luna Live
03/13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right
03/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Ardmore
Music Hall
