Rating: ***1/2
New Mexico gives us the gift of a new Benny Bassett EP. Hooray!
Although he described his first EP as "full of hope", this one takes a serious turn after an exhausting tour schedule, the end of a relationship, and the beginning of a new one has left Bassett feeling a bit contemplative. Been there, brother.
The new EP is called "Words For Yesterday" and I'm excited to check it out. It's a longer EP (six songs) and the track titles sound like a laundry list of phrases your friends would tell you in order to keep you going when you're depressed. I don't know if that's a precursor to what it'll sound like, but I have my suspicions.
Check my thoughts after the jump.
Watch the music video for "Down Below" on Youtube below:
"Window to Forever" is a solid pop tune that kind of reminds me of something Mike & the Mechanics would have recorded back in the late 80's. Well-sung and well-played with a solid melody line. I could hear this on the radio. "Live Where You Love the Sky" is next and it has a nice modern country feel. Another radio friendly track, that is simple goodness. "Down Below" sounds dirty, but is actually our first look at a riff-heavy rock track. It's a good sound for Bassett. Sounds like a nicer version of George Thoroughgood. "Find a Way" bounces along. He has a real gift for pop sensibilities in his melodies. All these tracks are good to great, even though none of them are mind-blowing at first listen. Just really strong tracks. "Building A Future" is contextually fairly dull and is the first track on the album I'd consider skippable. The EP ends on "From You", a slower tempo ballad with earnest lyrics and lovely piano accompaniment. A really pretty way to close this one out.
Five of the six tracks on this EP are rock solid. Even the one track I didn't love "Building A Future" isn't bad per se, but it just seemed out of place in the bigger picture of the EP. That said, I really enjoyed it and I think you will as well.