Mutual Benefit – Skip A Sinking Stone

Slipping effortlessly between wispy, lo-fi gospel and warm trails of orchestration, the second album from Mutual Benefit (aka Jordan Lee) doesn’t want for scope, the prevailing mood coy, lithe and appealing. A little reminiscent of late-period Spiritualized or a mariachi-weaned Beirut, Lee weaves delicate patterns, minor keys reflecting off the major, Wayne Coyne-esque vocals floating gently on the tides of reminiscence.

Skip A Sinking Stone isn’t an immediate record, and neither is there anything particularly novel in its utilisation of imagery, but that’s picking holes for the sake of it; tracks such as Getting Gone and the titular Skipping Stones balance naturally, the harmonies gentle, the acoustic guitar, piano and strings positioned with grace (even Nocturne, the brief, mid-point instrumental – is beautifully phased and elegantly phrased).

“We can see stars from here; why would we go back anywhere?” sings Lee on Lost Dreamers. And like a starry night, the view from here is something to treasure.