Ben Sollee Releases Half Made Man

Ben Sollee – Photo by GLINT Studios

Late last month, Kentucky Cellist Ben Sollee released Half Made Man (Amazon MP3 & Spotify), his new self-produced album featuring musicians like Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket on electric/acoustic guitar and pedal steel, and guest vocals by Abigail Washburn.  Sollee contributes octave mandolin, guitar, and of course, his signature cello.

Unlike some of Sollee’s quieter, minimalist albums like Learning to Bend and Dear Companion (in partnership with Daniel Martin Moore), Half Made Man features a full band and poppy rhythms, but with beautiful instrumentation and the honest songwriting that have wooed Sollee fans for years. Of note is “Unfinished,” a song that’s consistent with the theme of the album and stood out to me and others for its humble chorus.

“Don’t you know that I am not finished
Yes, I am a half-made man
And I need your forgiveness to feel whole again”