Steve Benjamins
Sightlines
(self-released)

Steve Benjamins’ Sightlines is a mélange of dramatic tunes as much built across his thrilling vocal range as the atmospheric underpinnings of the six songs collected here. The title track opens introducing us to Benjamins’ distinctive, sweet voice, at first with way-back-in-the-mix keys, then percussion and upfront synth lines and guitar (certainly one feels the spirit of Peter Gabriel here), while “Devotion” is a simple harmonizing vocal mix a la The Beach Boys with a light piano backing. “Exploding Boy” shows Benjamins’ full range perfectly, a tune built on a razor’s edge of slow building, starting with a single echo note, strings coming up and then roiling percussion, all smashing down into piano and harmony “ahhs” once again for the end. “We Used to Live” has hand claps against the piano and a gospel-sounding Benjamins making it probably the biggest commercial tune here; it’s a good dance track with key counter lines and a heavy beat that gets going in the chorus. The plinky, plaintive “Later On” ends, a quick tune with rising strings and a full, in-your-face vocal. Get on board with what Steve Benjamins is all about here. It will be well worth your while to do so.