Oxford, Miss (TLV) – Jordan Lee, better known as Mutual Benefit, is set to play Oxford’s Proud Larry’s on Monday, September 8th with supporting act, Soft Cat at 9 pm.
Mutual Benefit is the creation of singer-songwriter, Jordan Lee, and consists of an indefinite lineup of various musicians, all chosen by Lee to help bring to life the sound that his listeners have come to know and love, not to mention, earn him accolades like being named one of Stereogum’s 2013 “Bands to Watch.”
Oxford will be only the fifth stop on a lengthy 41 city fall tour across North America in support of the re-release of Mutual Benefit’s 2011 EP, The Cowboy’s Prayer.
The EP was formerly only available as a Bandcamp download, but has now been remastered and is set to be re-released on September 2nd by Other Music Recording Co., which Lee signed with last year. This is the first time The Cowboy’s Prayer will be available in physical formats including a one-sided etched 12” vinyl and CD with all new artwork in addition to being available to download or stream.
Most listeners became familiar with Mutual Benefit’s rich, delicately layered, folk infused style on the immensely successful full length debut, Love’s Crushing Diamond, which received rave reviews from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, as well as being the first Bandcamp release ever to be named “Best New Music” by Pitchfork. However, it was The Cowboy’s Prayer that first introduced Lee’s stunning musical stylings. So a re-release would only be fitting.
So far, a re-mastered version of “Auburn Epitaphs” is the first track from the upcoming re-release that is currently available for online streaming. With that said, “Auburn Epitaphs” is four minutes of exquisite irony. Musically, it is swift and invigorating, yet easy going. Soft, melodic guitars create an upbeat feel and evoke a simple happiness. But all the while, Lee’s vocals are smooth yet burdened, singing lyrics that are earnest, telling tales of heartbreaking loss and attempts to cope.
Within the first two minutes of the song, Lee touches on an apparent loss, singing, “They carved some words into a stone, after you left for the great unknown. They really hoped it would mean something.” While further along he sings, “I pause to feel the gravity that permeates a part of me. So I press my pen into the page, pretending that these words can change, feigning that they have some meaning.”
“Auburn Epitaphs” must surely foreshadow just how captivating and gorgeous the soon-to-be re-re-released EP will be.
If you are into sincere, beautifully layered, folk-infused indie pop songs then you should definitely plan on being at Proud Larry’s to hear Mutual Benefit. 
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This article was originally published in The Local Voice #211 (published August 28, 2014).
To download a PDF of this issue, click HERE.
