Track Listing

1. Apologise
2. If I Let The Ladder Down
3. Stalemate - Ben's Brother & Joss Stone
4. Battling Giants - Ben's Brother & Jason Mraz
5. Questions And Answers
6. Therapy
7. She Is Love
8. What If I
9. All Played Out
10. Should I Believe You
11. Interlude
12. Bitter End
13. Letters
14. Should I Believe You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28034 in Music
• Released on: 2009-05-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
Ben's Brother is London-born Jamie Hartman. Battling Giants follows his debut album Beta-Male Fairytales, which contained the Ivor Novello Award-nominated single "Let Me Out". An experienced songwriter who has written with an array of the UK’s premier artists, including the likes of Will Young, Lemar, Beverley Knight, McFly, Jack MacManus, Emma Bunton, Natalie Imbruglia, David Jordan and Tom Baxter (and penned Will Young’s hit "All Time Love"), Battling Giants features performances from Joss Stone (on "Stalemate") and Jason Mraz (on "Battling Giants").

Customer Reviews

The Infamous Second Album
Having spent months waiting for the infamous second album, expecting the usual drop in quality most groups suffer from after "changing direction" I was highly disappointed..

Beware this album is FAR FAR BETTER than the excellent Beta Male Fairytales, Jamie's songwriting has moved up to another level and if my insignificant opinion can be believed, this album will propel Bens Brother into the highest level of British mainstream pop.

Having seem this band work there socks off over the last two years, this album will hopefully repay all that hard work.

From the title track to the duet with Josh Stone, through the exceptional ballads All Played Out and Letters, this album is full of quality through and through, buy it immediately.........

Ben's Brother's Mixed Bag
Before BBO (Becky Barn Owl) shared her copy of 'Battling Giants' with me
I have to admit that I had never heard of Ben's Brother ( or any other member
of his family come-to-that ). I am more than pleased to have become acquainted.

I gather that singer/songwriter Mr Hartman has already garnered plaudits aplenty
for his earlier (2007) album 'Beta Male Fairytales'. On the basis of new evidence
laid out before us here I would not be surprised if further accolades follow.

Mr Hartman has an ear for a good tune. The thirteen songs in this collection
display considerable imagination and creative skill both lyrically and musically.
Truth-be-told he possesses a somewhat curious ( but by no means
unpleasant ) voice. Its pronounced nasal quality takes a little getting used to
but once we are habituated navigating our way through the project is plain sailing.

First track 'Apologise', with its swooping yodel-like chorus, is a strong opener.

Celebrity friend Ms Stone drops in for tea on 'Stalemate', a soft-centered soulful
ballad with an economically effective string arrangement thrown in for good measure.

Title track 'Battling Giants' disports the additional ( but unobtrusive ) vocal talents of
Mr Mraz - an inoffensively pleasant little ditty, warmly performed.

'Questions and Answers' is a somewhat unconvincing up-tempo song with veers
dangerously close to the middle of the road. In all honesty its a bit of a dog's dinner.

Things recover with 'Therapy', a fine song driven along by strong vocal harmonies.

'She Is Love' could have turned out a bit twee and soppy but our hero somehow
manages to steer it into a convincingly affecting performance by a hair's breadth.

'What If I ?', with its anthemic opening, is the album's highpoint in my humble reckoning.
( A bit Keane-ish...it's the piano methinks...but not in a bad way ).

'Should I Believe You ?' also turns in a good tune and one of Mr Hartman's
finer vocal moments.

Final track 'Letters' is an absolute stinker and should never have
been allowed to see the light of day.

A mixed bag to be sure but more than worthy of our attention. Mr Hartman's
voice is an acquired taste but I found myself quite enjoying it after a while.

Cautiously Recommended.

More uplifting and maybe better then their first album.
Bens Brother are one of my more relaxing bands that I really enjoy listening to and they write excellent songs. With the first Bens Brother album Beta Male Fairytales the main subject matter of the songs was very much to do with a relationship break up. That subject matter is still here a little with such songs as Apologise and Should I Believe You? which are both great songs. Overall this is a more happy album with great lyrics and some wonderful relaxing tunes. I really like the track Stalemate with "Joss Stone" singing with them and if you liked their first album then I see no reason why you would'nt enjoy this one too.