A Million Miles Out EP [2010] torrent

Released October 24, 2010

'A Million Miles Out' is the debut EP release from singer-songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich, another fine twenty-something talent from up North (York but of South African/Aussie descent).

Opening track 'Atlas Hands' immediately resembles Death Cab For Cutie's 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark', but that's only a little criticism. Leftwich's delicate vocal oozes over layers of gentle acoustic guitar with smooth female backing vocals bringing another colour to the blend towards the end of the track. The backing vocals, which again feature towards the end of both 'More Than Letters' and the EP's conclusion 'Hole In My Head', sound almost choral, with its harmonised repeated outro to both tracks. The EP continues in a similar vein to its opening track blending Jose Gonzales-like picked acoustic guitars with beautiful echoing vocals and occasional suggestions of percussion.

There are whiffs of song writing influence of the likes of Ryan Adams, Sigur Ros, Elliot Smith and the aforementioned Death Cab For Cutie and Jose Gonzales throughout; Leftwich has drawn the best of each of his influences into his own style. 'A Million Miles Out' is a beautiful, thoughtful and gentle EP leaving high expectation for Benjamin Francis Leftwich's 2011 full length follow up.