People feel a variety of emotions at any given second of any given day: Someone may be simultaneously lonely, depressed, happy, loved and angry. However, these feelings give life its intricate value and individual meaning. In the two-disc album Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper interweaves his various states of emotion into his entrancing and enticing music.
With seven albums under his belt, Harper uses this one to experiment with an assortment of sounds, different instruments and, most importantly, conflicted feelings. Harper once again proves himself to be a talented and poetic writer and singer. On the first disc, his quiet voice beckons the listener to travel through a journey of his recent experiences with him. Harper does an intriguing job of pulling the audience into his music.
Harper sings about such conflicting topics as his recent marriage to wife and actress Laura Dern, his disconnection from his father and his anger over the government's actions in New Orleans with regards to Hurricane Katrina. The variety of sounds and instruments are as diverse and distinct as the topics discussed. Harper conquers reggae, soul, some swing and funk, creating a sundry sound.
The first CD starts off with the track Morning Yearning.\ Lyrics like ""The world awakens on the run, and we'll soon be earning / We'll soon be earning with hopes of better days to come,"" invoke a connection of humanity that Harper wishes to find. On the surface he seems to discuss the feelings of waking up in the morning. However, Harper has proven himself to be an insightful person, leaving room for listeners to analyze the lyrics as an overall metaphor for the world, and the hope to wake up to a new day.
Harper desperately craves his listeners to share his emotions. The first CD is amazingly different from the second. Harper's voice travels from soft and poetic to his normal screaming and angry tone. Harper goes from being a sentimental singer in the first CD to being a politically-enraged citizen on the second one.
The last track of the first CD, ""Happily Ever After In Your Eyes,"" is a serenade to his new wife. This contrasts the first track of the second disc, ""Better Way,"" in which his tone changes to an up-tempo beat with a positive view about believing in, you guessed it, a better way.
The title song ""Both Sides of the Gun"" on the second CD screams for attention. Harper sings of tension and successfully combines reggae and soul. Other tracks like ""Black Rain"" and ""Gather Around the Storm"" express a deep dissatisfaction with the government's recent lack of action with Hurricane Katrina and other policies.
A combination of romantic sounds on the first CD conflict with the political enragement spiked on the second CD. These two sides of Harper create one of the most innovative and refreshing albums made in a long time.
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