RIYL: The Fray, The Shins, early Radiohead
We’ve heard stranger, but we won’t hold it against him. This 5 song EP by Benny Strange features jangling guitars, nice harmonies and decent songwriting sprinkled with bits of atmospheric blips and synth lines as needed. (Mix at high speed, bake at 350, repeat.)With a voice that sometimes evokes James Mercer of “The Shins” and other times that embarrassingly bald guy from “The Fray”, Strange crafts engaging songs of love and semi-existential angst that make for pleasantly easy listening. As with most indie artists these days, a few more hooks certainly wouldn’t hurt, but this is an EP after all so we’ll let it slide this time. Still, the production on this album is impressive, serving up a very professional sound that makes it easy to picture one of these songs sneaking onto mainstream pop radio, sandwiched between a Green Day ballad and Katy Perry fluff. Strange’s songs benefit from above average lyrics and some clever verses that keep the listener engaged but would serve as decent background music if needed.
The EP opens with a strong note as “Sifting” finds Strange layering a simple guitar riff with dreamy synths and a cleverly placed tambourine to build a nicely lilting melody. Strange pines for a lost love while pondering his loneliness, singing “We hide in our shadows persistently fading, All of our words fall into the sifting.” A catchy chorus ensues, with the repeated refrain, “We are too content to keep colliding, keep colliding”. The song is anchored by a great bridge with cellos and strings throwing the track into a minor key while yearning piano harmonies dance in the foreground. Overall a great track that sets the stage nicely for the rest of the EP.
Next up, “Frozen Tears” throws in some rougher edges, with lightly distorted guitars that veer towards U2 at some spots, but in a good way. Later on, some nicely placed effects come in, evoking early “Bends”-era Radiohead, albeit briefly. The lyrics do fall a bit flat here, however, with a somewhat innocuous “Each stepping stone is breaking, no ground is solid here” motif. “Crashing Down”, the third track, follows a similar formula, with a likeable melody but a slight paucity of lyrical or melodic direction. Instead of a fully developed bridge, Strange opts for a short guitar solo with no real key change and in the end the song winds up being rather forgettable.
The standout of the album is without question “Askew”, where Strange takes a more experimental approach that pays clear dividends. The song begins simply with 2 dueling piano riffs, then brings in plucked guitars and spaced out lyrics that match the mood to fine effect. “My obscurity just melts away the time”, Strange sings, elongating the word “time” to form a very hypnotic descending chorus as he satisfyingly moans, “Time, Tiiiimmee. Tiiiimmmme.” The Beatles-esque trick of use a basic step-wise descending or ascending chord progression works wonders here, making this track sure proof of the idea that great song writing is sometimes served better by mood and experimentalism than actual musical chops.
Overall this debut EP from Mr. Strange is a nicely crafted teaser for a songwriter with a lot of promise. However, those looking for a bit more than easy listening may want to steer clear. Strange’s tunes would definitely be well served by a bit more drama and edge, maybe a harrowing experience in Bosnia, ala James Blunt, to push the range of moods into a bit more interesting territory. Strange seems to be trying his best to straddle the line between James Taylors’ strummy pop and a harder edged sound that would help set him apart from the huge glut of emo-riffic singer songwriter dudes flooding the market lately.
Too many artist these days seem overly anxious to cash in on the lovesick leftovers from the inevitably crushed-out Justin Bieber and Jonas Brothers fans who like their guys sweet and simple in public but secretly go for Lady Gaga when no one’s watching. Strange should take a cue from his name, swallow hard and dive in. After all, these days America has plenty of strangeness to spare.
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