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If Nina Simone had been born a man, her debut would most likely sound exactly like this. No, this is not an exaggeration, and you only need to listen to pieces like "London" and "Cornerstone" to realize it. But Benjamin Clementine is not a mere imitator; on the contrary: literally honed on the streets and thrust into the spotlight thanks to a stunning performance on "Later... with Jools Holland," the young London singer-songwriter shows he is fully capable of mastering a wide array of musical influences, both contemporary and traditional (from Leonard Cohen to John Legend, from the aforementioned Nina Simone to Anthony Hegarty), blending them together without hiding them, yet ensuring they don't become overwhelming.
The result is a very personal debut album, in which, while maintaining a consistent old-school soul pathos, intense piano-voice ballads à la Anthony and The Johnsons ("The People and I", "Gone") alternate with broad pop pieces (the aforementioned "London" and "Cornerstone"), without neglecting references to jazz and certain piano music ("Quiver a Little" might as well have been written by a modern-day Erik Satie). Given the ocean of influences all channeled into "At Least For Now," it's impossible to provide such a generic list; in fact, to find them all, one should analyze each individual piece in detail as they are so well-blended and, moreover, presented with good taste and a healthy dose of personality. This allows the talented composer to look at them without his music appearing excessively derivative. And what about Clementine's voice? Warm, enveloping, dynamic, with a surprising flow and remarkable range, it is one of the most beautiful I've heard in recent years, and throughout the album, it proves capable of delivering spine-tingling performances without ever resorting to virtuosity for its own sake.
So, has a star been born? It might be a bit early to say, but it's hard to imagine Benjamin's career not taking off: the voice, personality, and compositional skills are all there, and if a good day can be seen from the morning, given the premises of "At Least For Now," it is practically certain that we can expect great things from Clementine.
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By musicanidi
I get trapped in his music like a lover tied to the bed with handcuffs.
His black voice fades into the thousand colors of the rainbow, the piano is never trivial.
