Stream Mutual Benefit Love’s Crushing Diamond
Back in July, we introduced you to Mutual Benefit, the songwriting moniker of Jordan Lee. “Lee’s recordings as Mutual Benefit have been sparse, releasing just the occasional small-run tape or split 7-inch, but his voice has resonated in certain corners of the underground,” we wrote of the sprawling, slow pop song “Advanced Falconry,” marked by long bows of violin, loops of guitar plucks, backing harmonies sung in falsetto. “The most immediately engaging element though, is Lee’s lovely voice, both whispery and full of sincerity.” Now, Lee’s latest album Love’s Crushing Diamond is available to stream in full. It’s a no-filler collection of gorgeous group efforts; Lee’s lyrics sound like conversations he’s been having inside his head for a while, layered with instrumentals and harmonizing and found sounds contributed by friends. Another highlight is the heartbreaking but hopeful “Golden Wake.” “And in the water I could see / A piece of what you broke in me,” sings Lee conversationally, later repeating a more uplifting mantra: “We weren’t made to be this way / We weren’t made to be afraid.” Check it out below.