These Two Windows / Alec Benjamin / May 29, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- Jun 5, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
Alec Benjamin has been through a lot, especially to get to where he is today. On “These Two Windows,” Alec does what he does best: plays the role of the storyteller and provides his listeners an intimate look into his emotions and struggles. And while his current sound isn’t inventive by any means, his debut album still shows a refined ability to write meaningful and captivating pop music.
With reliable producers in Alex Hope and Sir Nolan, Alec curates a pop sound that is fairly accessible, yet more sober than most mainstream artists. He finds solace in venting into his songs, tackling issues ranging from helping friends with domestic abuse (“Must Have Been the Wind”), to struggling to maintain his career (“Jesus in LA”), to even questioning his sense of free will (“Mind is a Prison”), and it’s admirable to see him doing such difficult and personal topics justice, with vocal performances and instrumentals that feel so heartfelt and genuine. Alec also has a notable ability to lyrically convey specific memories or situations, saturating the core messages of each song with relatable and intimate experiences that listeners can easily follow along (“Oh My God”).
However, despite its numerous catchy hooks and verses, “These Two Windows” is fundamentally formulaic. Nearly every track on the album abides by the exact same song structure, and given that he generally sticks to a singular style sonically, the album becomes tedious through the progression of the tracklist. It also has its moments of rather unexciting and uninspired production (“I’m Not a Cynic”) and writing (“Just Like You”), stemming from a sense of comfortability.
There are plenty of indicators that show that Alec has room to grow and sharpen his craft, specifically looking to expand his limited artistic comfort zone, but his studio debut effort is undoubtedly promising, foretelling his even brighter future in pop.
Best Track(s): Demons, Oh My God, Mind Is A Prison
Lowlight(s): I’m Not a Cynic, Just Like You
SCORE: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XhIGrdGVVY
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