Benjamin Dara
Single Flame
Self-Released
Street: 02.18
Benjamin Dara = Dispatch + Enya + Jack Johnson

Benjamin Dara’s debut release begins with a music-box-like piano riff, leading into a mystical arrangement of synth strings and distorted drums accompanying his vocals as he sings, “The moon up high, the eye in the sky, the clouds, the trees, the air, the breeze.” The entire album continues on this path of lyrics that don’t actually say anything of any substance. Musically, the album is driven by the acoustic guitar and has a folky feel. While the instrumentals are executed well, Dara’s songwriting fails to produce any tones or melodies that are interesting in any way. The high point on the album is the trumpet solo on “Cracks of Life,” but, other than that, the album is devoid of any impressive musicianship. –Chris Proctor