On November 16th, 2018, Indie artist Alec Benjamin released his first album titled Narrated For You. Although this is not a new album, it is worth a listen.
Narrated For You is a 37-minute album that consists of 12 tracks. I will be reviewing the album based on lyrical storytelling, theme, and musical structure. Rather than rating every single track, I’ll talk more about the songs that stood out to me.
Starting with the first track on the album, “If We Have Each Other” is a beautifully written song that tells the story of three different people in Benjamin’s life. The main message of the song is that even though the world isn’t perfect, we’ll be alright “if we have each other.” Musically, the song mainly uses an acoustic guitar for the verse, later introducing drums in the chorus. Many other songs in the album, such as “Steve,” “Gotta Be a Reason,” and “Boy In The Bubble” use the same acoustic guitar.
Going directly to the next track, “Water Fountain” is a story about the ignorance of first love. The lyrics tell the story of a girl Benjamin was in love with but was “too young” to realize or understand. The song mainly uses piano rather than guitar which I thought was nice.
Taking a more somber turn, “Let Me Down Slowly” is about heartbreak and vulnerability in a relationship. The lyrics “let me down slowly” express Benjamin’s wish to be let go as gently as possible. The song uses a clean electric guitar rather than an acoustic guitar, which I thought was a nice change that fit well with the song. Similarly, “If I Killed Someone For You” uses an electric as well.
While many of these songs deal with themes of love and heartbreak, themes of growing up and childhood nostalgia are present as well. This is especially prominent in tracks like “1994” and “Death of a Hero.”
The album has a nostalgic yet melancholic feel to it, perfectly fitting the themes of heartbreak and reminiscence that are present in the lyrics. Benjamin beautifully weaves a story in every single one of his songs through the lyrics as well as creates wistful melodies to accompany them.
Overall, I give this album a 9.5/10. Some of the songs seem a bit repetitive in my opinion, but Benjamin excels in storytelling as well as musical structure.
