Alec Benjamin - Narrated for You

Alec Benjamin
Narrated For You
2018
Spotify

It seems like every couple of years we get a new acoustic guitar songster. Someone who strips down the production and takes it back to something simple: soft music and emotional lyrics. These folks tend to focus on the young teenage emotions that we all have gone through, but rarely revisit daily. He sings from that place where every nod from the object of your affection meant everything to you. Each touch, each glance it all feels so new and exciting, like love has boundless potential. It's somewhat novel even if childish to sing from this perspective, because it takes you back to that place. It does however start to feel a bit daunting as the album goes on continuing to reference places and situations that all feel very High School. "Annabelle's Homework" and "Water Fountain" are the most explicit with their references to High School relying on the tropes and sentiments almost exclusively. "Let Me Down Slowly" is confusing because it creates this massive build throughout the entire song that eventually leads to almost nothing. Benjamin oped a tour for Camilla Cabello previously and He sounds somewhat similar to her now boyfriend Shawn Mendes. Shawn however varies his song choices while much of this album feels exactly the same.

Songs like "Steve" almost feel too personal, like someone commenting on the happenings of their friend group. It's odd because at times this album sounds a bit like Youtube parody, but then Benjamin is completely earnest in what He is saying. In the end you've heard this album before, many times, and Alec Benjamin is not adding anything new to the genre that you can hang your hat on. It's just more singer songwriter stuff lacking a real punch.

5.0 out of 10