Benjamin Booker – ‘Lower’ album review: a dream-like masterclass
THE SKINNY: While the name Benjamin Booker might have brought to mind memories of around a decade ago when things seemed much better than they are now, that has now firmly changed. After mostly disappearing for seven years, the American musician is back with his third album, LOWER, which is without question his finest and most accomplished body of work.
The record, initiated by Booker seeking to finally bring to life a seemingly intangible sound that had floated around his imagination for a while, is stellar. It sees him team up with underground hip-hop mastermind Kenny Segal, and together, they create an immensely dream-like and cinematic convergence of traditional instrumentation, electronics and sampling that washes over the listener in an affirming way that albums seldom do.
Encompassing shoegaze, lo-fi hip-hop, trip-hop, orchestral and musique concrète – as well as Booker’s garage-adjacent early sound – LOWER is a record that contains a remarkable amount of substance. Despite the variety of songs that crop up, the songs never feel incongruous with the general body of work, even when they challenge the listener.
Booker is a fan of great cinema, with the likes of Paul Schrader and Jean-Pierre Melville listed as influences on LOWER. It shows. Like any great script or film, it’s a lucid collection of songs that lead the listener on a journey into the mind’s eye, and leaves them feeling changed after the final notes ring out. Brilliantly, even when taken on their own, the tracks make a memorable impression.
For fans of: Weed, the films of Paul Thomas Anderson and beer-soaked summer days in the park.
A concluding comment from me: “Due to such a prismatic nature and expert marriage of forms, this feels like a perfect album review to bring the curtain down on my time at Far Out with.”
LOWER track by track:
Release date: January 24th | Producer: Benjamin Booker / Kenny Segal | Label: FIRE NEXT TIME RECORDS via Thirty Tigers
‘BLACK OPPS’: This is a perfect opener for such a narcotic album. Comprised of fuzzy shoegazing guitars and the robust rhythm of a programmed beat, Booker’s hushed, atmospheric delivery sits on top of the sonic potpourri, wrapping itself around you as it bounces between stress and release. [4/5]
‘LWA IN THE TRAILER PARK’: A stellar convergence of electronics and droning guitars, the second stop builds on the foundation laid by the opener as Booker and Segal work together to craft a distinctive sound that’s both personal and fitting of our discombobulating times. I particularly love the piano and glitchy aspects of this one. [4.5/5]
‘POMPEII STATUES’: A more direct number comprised of a memorable vocal melody, mind-melting plucks of the guitars, and a generally stoned vibe thanks to the trip-hop elements, this is the kind of song that will earn Booker new fans in an instant of them hearing it. [4/5]
‘SLOW DANCE IN A GAY BAR’: Another dream-like effort, here, Booker’s tender delivery, the lo-fi hip-hop elements, and the heady guitar strings in the background all work together to keep you deeply immersed in the songwriter’s audio-visual dreamland that is LOWER. [4.5/5]
‘SPEAKING WITH THE DEAD’: A return to Booker’s dark proclivities. This number boasts thick, swollen synths, evil backing vocals and moments of pure atmospheric ambience that reflect just how far the American has come since his early days. [4/5]
‘REBECCA LATIMER FELTON TAKES A BBC’: Best title on the album? For sure. Fuck Rebecca Latimer Felton; for those who don’t know, she was a white supremacist who advocated lynching Black Americans. Given her bleak views, there’s no surprise this number is also dark, wherein Booker and Segal complement angular traditional instrumentation with their digital sonic spices to challenge the listener. [4/5]
‘NEW WORLD’: There’s a strong argument that this is the finest cut on the album. As far as I’m concerned, it’s essentially perfect, from the expressive beat and repeated piano lines to Booker’s vocals and how expertly the various components are layered. [5/5]
‘SAME KIND OF LONELY’: Featuring a fuzzy guitar that leads the way, a warm, soulful bassline, and another of Booker’s emotive vocal lines, this track contains what is undoubtedly the most memorable chorus on the album. It also contains some discombobulating samples just after the halfway mark. [4/5]
‘SHOW AND TELL’: This song employs more traditional instrumentation, such as the acoustic guitar and dreamy brass and combines it with Booker and Segal’s broad arsenal of electronic textures. It’s movie soundtrack-worthy. [4/5]
‘HEAVY ON MY MIND’: An absolute masterclass in songwriting. Led by Booker and the acoustic, transcendental chimes are in the background, and fuzzy samples create a truly all-encompassing listening experience. [4/5]
‘HOPE FOR THE NIGHT TIME’: A potent cut, this is closing time, and Booker bookends LOWER flawlessly. It boils down the prismatic sounds of the record into a single song and gives us one last lap. [4/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.