Ben Ripani – “Pangea”

Ben Ripani has put together a record with his new EP “Pangea”. Recorded at RaxTrax in Chicago and mixed down in Nashville, the music comes across as a completely honest, unvarnished look at a rough patch of life. Ben went through difficult times, dealing with the loss of a parent and the end of a marriage, and you can hear that reality in the songwriting.

Ben used these recording sessions to process his own grief. He brought back his old Chicago crew, including Chris Nakielski on piano and organ, Dave Marshall on bass, Patrick Benson on drums, and Frank Green on guitar. He also mixed in some great Nashville players like Jay Gorman, Greg Lohman, Jennifer Wrinkle, and Jessie Gray to flesh out the arrangements. The result is a collection of tracks that sound organic, rich, and completely true to life. My favorites are “Flame” and “Arock”.

The production balances midwestern grit with southern polish, thanks to Rick Barnes tracking the music, Zach Canella on the mix, and Will Borza handling the mastering in Los Angeles. It sounds fantastic, but the real pull is the vulnerability of the material. It is sincere songwriting that feels like a necessity, like the music simply had to be written to get through the day.

I love this release, and it is easily one of my favorite EPs of the year. If you enjoy this new material, you should definitely dive into the back catalog and check out his previous releases. Ben Ripani is a gifted songwriter who is hitting an incredible creative stride right now, so please follow him online and keep up with his journey to stay updated about all the new music and live shows he has planned for the rest of this year.