The second solo album, following 2014’s You Should Be So Lucky, from veteran Benmont Tench, The Melancholy Season, is aptly titled as the pianist/singer/songwriter delivers a record that ebbs and flows but never gets too high or too low.
Known for his supportive sideman work, Tench takes center stage working with Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, and Margo Price) on the thirteen-song album centered around Tench’s piano, keyboards, and light guitar. Vocally, Tench has a lot in common with Mark Knofpler, as his singing is understated and breathy, forcing listeners to lean in and focus on the lyrics.
The mood-setting opening title track starts with just piano. Soft, poetic words are lightly sung while the music gradually builds. Tench sings about the constellation Orion appearing in the fall/winter months above his home, overlooking the San Fernando Valley and the mood that sets in during this time of year.
The tempos pick up for both the retro rocking “Rattle,” which sounds straight out of ‘58, and “Not Enough,” which is dramatic and swirling with piano, organ, guitars, bass, and drum as Tench sings about love not always being enough. One of the most interesting songs arrives early with “Pledge”, a complex number that deals with spirituality in a slightly upbeat shaking fashion with an outro that examines Jesus and looking within. The song reminds one of Wildflowers era Tom Petty, with whom Benmont played for over forty years.
Petty’s influence can be felt throughout, and perhaps if he were alive to front a few songs, Petty would have spiced up/improved numbers like “Drivin’ Man” and the overwrought cliches of “I Will Not Follow You Down”, but that rocking pop appeal is not what Tench is shooting for with this introspective album.
When The Melancholy Season works best is in the quieter moments. The acoustic, funny, closer “Dallas” rips into the title town, the southwestern late-night vibe of the transportative “Like Crystal” (with top-notch guitar work from Taylor Goldsmith) and the Spanish shuffling flair of the New Orleans based “Wobbles” are all winners. The best of the bunch is the emotionally moving “Under the Starlight,” which unfolds like a delicate lullabye as Tench sings about relationships, the marching of time, and the great beyond.
Benmont Tench uses his spirituality, heartbreak, aging, love, pathos, and humor throughout The Melancholy Season, a contemplative affair perfect for the album’s title moments.
