Cut of the Day: Ben Mason - "Skin Warming Skin"

By ROBERT HAM

 Ben Mason, a fine singer-songwriter from Australia, spent a while here last month hanging out with some friends and falling in love with the local music scene. So much so, that when he got back to his home in Melbourne, he decided to pay tribute to some of his favorite acts from Stumptown by recording a six-song EP Acapulco Volume 2 wherein he covers tracks by The Shins, Fruit Bats, and Arch Cape. And he does them all a cappella. 

It's a lovely little collection of tunes, and our favorite, by far, is his take on Laura Gibson's "Skin Warming Skin." His delicate voice - multi-tracked gleefully - is put to perfect use as he matches the every dramatic swoop and pulse of the instruments on the original. Makes for a nice counterpart to the haunting version found on Gibson's latest album La Grande. 

WWeek 2015

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