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Steve Benjamins rushes into the “Sightlines” EP

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by Susan Shelton

The Sightlines EP could be fun, could be interesting, but it’s not and it is not worth the total listening time of the mere six tracks combined. This is Steve Benjamins’ third EP in two years, something that is impressive from a creative standpoint, but reflected in the quality of work in the most recent EP. The single “We Used to Live” is a catchy, upbeat example of Benjamins’ indie pop niche and is completely different from the other songs on the EP. In Benjamins’ defense, the EP is publicized as a slower, more pensive take on indie pop, but the slower tracks are boring and repetitive, not pensive.

If the goal was, in fact, pensive music then Benjamins did not get the result he had in mind. The single sounds like bad club music with moments in the chorus where Benjamins could be mistaken for a knock-off version of Drake. The other songs are confused in genre, switching from vaguely trance music to slightly pop tunes. The repetition makes them the opposite of pensive: these tracks are mostly irritating, distracting, and rushed.

Between the album art and the description on Benjamins’ Facebook page, it seems that this music is supposed to be paired with landscapes and sunsets. It is the uninteresting watercolor in the art gallery of indie pop track lists. That might intrigue some people, but it certainly functions better as background music than an actually engaging musical experience.

The production quality of the Sightlines EP is admittedly good and it is clear that Steve Benjamins has access to good materials that could potentially produce a great sound. Unfortunately, there is not enough creative material to match the production quality. Benjamins is capable of great work, but he puts too much on the line by taking a unique twist on indie pop and then not following through with impressive work.

The Sightlines EP is available on May 15th for the Steve Benjamins fans out there.

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