Wide Open Light
Wide Open Light is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ben Harper, released on June 2, 2023, through Chrysalis Records.[1] The album consists of 11 tracks, including the lead single "Yard Sale" featuring guest vocals from Jack Johnson.[2] Primarily acoustic and minimalist in arrangement, it serves as a meditation on love, loss, and longing, with Harper emphasizing that the songs themselves drive the narrative without an overarching story.[3][1] Harper described the record as a "family of songs" where each track feels like a close relative, returning to an era when albums relied solely on their musical content.[1] The tracklist includes introspective pieces such as "Masterpiece," "Giving Ghosts," and the title track "Wide Open Light," as well as "Love After Love" and "Thank You Pat Brayer."[2] Critics praised its raw emotional depth and stylistic freedom, with Harper channeling influences from folk icons like Cat Stevens and Paul Simon through heartfelt slide guitar and piano arrangements.[4][5] As a follow-up to his GRAMMY-nominated album Bloodline Maintenance, Wide Open Light highlights Harper's evolution toward sparse, genre-blending songwriting that prioritizes vulnerability and introspection.[1]Background and development
Conception
Following the release of his more produced album Bloodline Maintenance in 2022, Ben Harper sought to return to a raw, unadorned sound, drawing from personal reflections on love, loss, and introspection shaped by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The period of lockdowns provided Harper with rare time for solitude, allowing him to revisit and recontextualize songs written over years, transforming them into meditations on emotional vulnerability and human connection. This shift emphasized acoustic simplicity, with Harper describing the process as capturing "the crazy few years" marked by global uncertainty and personal reckoning, including reflections on personal losses such as the death of his father.[6] Inspired by a desire to strip away layers after the collaborative intensity of Bloodline Maintenance, Harper decided to center Wide Open Light on solo acoustic guitar as the primary instrument, viewing it as a return to essentials that highlighted the guitar's emotive power. He noted that opening for Harry Styles in 2022, performing stripped-down sets, reinforced this approach: "a guitar and a vocal is enough," reflecting a deliberate move toward minimalism to let the songs' intimacy shine. This choice stemmed from his lifelong affinity for acoustic folk traditions, aiming to evoke rawness and direct emotional resonance without elaborate production.[7][8] The early songwriting for the album began in 2022, with Harper composing most tracks alone in his home studio, selecting and refining a "family of songs" he had set aside over time like entries in a personal photo album. This solitary process allowed for unhurried exploration of themes like longing and self-discovery, culminating in 11 tracks that he described as relatives to one another, each capturing moments of his journey toward age 53. By working in this intimate setting, Harper prioritized poetic introspection over speed, ensuring the material felt like a cohesive, heartfelt snapshot of his evolving artistry.[8][9]Recording process
The recording of Wide Open Light primarily took place at Ben Harper's home studio, The Machine Shop, in Santa Monica, California (Los Angeles area), from 2021 through early 2023, with the minimalist approach reinforced by Harper's performances opening for Harry Styles at the Kia Forum in fall 2022. This timeline allowed for a focused, intimate process that prioritized raw performances over elaborate arrangements, with Harper aiming for a "Nebraska texture" inspired by Bruce Springsteen's seminal lo-fi aesthetic—neither strictly hi-fi nor lo-fi, but authentically unpolished. Minimal overdubs were employed throughout to retain the emotional immediacy of the vocals and instrumentation, using a single microphone setup where Harper adjusted distance based on producer Jason Mozersky's guidance for optimal capture.[10][11] Nearly all tracks centered on Harper's acoustic guitar and voice recorded in single takes, incorporating the natural room ambiance of the space to enhance the album's solitary, confessional vibe, with embellishments added sparingly afterward. While specific guitar models varied slightly—such as a Taylor Builder’s Edition 517 for core rhythm work—the production avoided heavy editing, focusing on live-feel simplicity to evoke a songwriter's direct connection. Limited remote contributions preserved this isolation; for instance, Jack Johnson provided vocals and slack-key guitar on "Yard Sale" from afar, adding subtle harmony without disrupting the album's core minimalism. Other guests, like Shelby Lynne on "8 Minutes," were similarly tracked separately to integrate seamlessly.[10][12]Music and lyrics
Musical style
Wide Open Light represents a stylistic shift for Ben Harper, classified as folk music infused with what he terms "Black folk soul music," a genre-blending approach that merges acoustic blues, soul, and introspective Americana to create a sound distinct from his prior eclectic explorations. This classification stems directly from Harper's own description, emphasizing a personal reinvention that draws on roots traditions while evoking emotional depth through understated expression. The album's sonic palette prioritizes simplicity, departing from the funk, rock, and soul elements of his 2022 release Bloodline Maintenance.[8][13] Central to the album's aesthetic is Harper's predominant use of fingerpicking guitar techniques, which form the backbone of its sparse arrangements and allow for a raw, unadorned vocal delivery that conveys intimacy and vulnerability. These elements foster a minimalist production style, with acoustic guitar often standing alone or accompanied by subtle touches like lap steel or piano, amplifying the emotional resonance of each track. Reviewers have noted how this approach suits the folksy and Delta blues-inflected tracks, creating a tender, hushed atmosphere that highlights Harper's fragile yet soulful voice.[5][13] The musical style evokes comparisons to key influences like Mississippi John Hurt and Nick Drake, whose fingerstyle acoustic approaches and introspective deliveries have long shaped Harper's sound—evident in his covers and tributes to both artists. Hurt's bluesy fingerpicking and Drake's atmospheric folk intimacy inform the album's brevity and directness, culminating in a concise 36-minute runtime across 11 tracks that prioritizes emotional purity over elaboration. This structure underscores the work's focus on vulnerability, aligning with Harper's lifelong devotion to acoustic traditions.[14][15][16]Themes and songwriting
Wide Open Light explores central themes of love, loss, longing, and personal growth, reflecting Harper's introspection on human relationships and emotional resilience. Harper has described the album as a "stripped-down, minimally-produced meditation on love, loss, and longing," emphasizing the journey toward deeper connection amid heartbreak and healing.[8] These motifs draw from reflections on impermanence, as seen in lyrics contemplating time's mercy and the transient nature of experiences, underscoring redemption through vulnerability.[17] The work captures an arc of seeking "one more change" in relational dynamics, blending heartache with hope for renewal.[7] Harper's songwriting style on the album employs poetic and introspective language, often infused with spiritual undertones that evoke forgiveness and inner peace. Tracks feature a forgiving spiritual worldview, using subtle repetition to foster a meditative quality that invites listeners into contemplative reflection.[18] This approach prioritizes emotional authenticity over elaborate structures, allowing lyrics to flow in a stream-of-consciousness manner that mirrors personal reckoning. The acoustic style further enhances the lyrical intimacy, stripping away excess to highlight raw sentiment.[13] The album represents an evolution in Harper's thematic focus, moving from the social and political commentary prominent in earlier releases, such as the activism-infused Fight for Your Mind (1995), toward a more autobiographical and inward examination of self and relationships. At age 53, Harper notes the record as capturing his ongoing personal exploration, contrasting with the outward-oriented concerns of prior works like the politically charged Bloodline Maintenance (2022).[8][7] This shift underscores a maturation in his craft, prioritizing contemplative songwriting that delves into individual healing over broader societal narratives.[19]Track listing
All tracks are written by Ben Harper, except where noted. The album features a guest appearance by Jack Johnson on "Yard Sale". The title track, "Wide Open Light", serves as the seventh song. The total runtime is 36:02.| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heart and Crown" | Ben Harper | 2:09 |
| 2. | "Giving Ghosts" | Ben Harper | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Masterpiece" | Ben Harper, Jason Mozersky | 2:44 |
| 4. | "8 Minutes" | Ben Harper | 2:16 |
| 5. | "Yard Sale" (featuring Jack Johnson) | Ben Harper | 4:17 |
| 6. | "Trying Not to Fall in Love with You" | Ben Harper | 3:33 |
| 7. | "Wide Open Light" | Ben Harper | 4:10 |
| 8. | "One More Change" | Ben Harper | 3:48 |
| 9. | "Growing Growing Gone" | Ben Harper | 2:28 |
| 10. | "Love After Love" | Ben Harper | 2:32 |
| 11. | "Thank You Pat Brayer" | Ben Harper | 3:54 |