Intoxicating musical wisdom and charm meanders from pure euphoric vibrancy to intimate and honest contemplation. Tennessee songwriter and musician Ben Stephens delivers a sensational debut album this year, with the unrivalled complexity, skill and originality of a fiercely vulnerable Hello World, This Is The Inside Of My Mind.
Built around the initial beating heart of Ben Stephens’ expressive and passionate piano playing, this album is everything its title implies and more – an unfiltered deep-dive into the uncertainty and chaos of a creative human mind.
We begin with the neo-jazz euphoria of An Opener, before branching off into a kind of sixties songwriter realm of free-flowing melodies and ballad-keys – think Elton, Pink Floyd – with lyrics that are fearless, dark, uncertain, relatable, searching and scathing. Living Alone Again is familiar but unpredictable, and unignorable from the outset. The unity between the piano, the voice, and the lyrics, makes for an artistic explosion of thought and feeling that’s impossible to turn away from.
Then there’s the subtle production and arrangement choices, these warped strings or synths lighting up the instrumental progression, and all the while Ben’s voice reaches out with soulful brightness and sheer, unedited sadness calmly and carefully united.
Recorded over four years, the true scope of Hello World, This Is The Inside of My Mind is realised early on, but increases its weight as you walk further into the shadows and celebrations of these twelve original recordings.
Ben’s playing is unconfined by genre or expectation, his lyrics know nothing of the bounds of audience anxiety – these are like diary entries, captured by an orchestral master fusing funk, jazz and pop throughout a quirky, colourful and consciously provocative journey.
At The End Of The Day (10:10PM) is a great example of the juxtaposition of a joyful bounce and a darker punch of lostness. Then for Baseball Man we get a neo-jazz and folk-punk fusion, something like Dresden Dolls meets Elliot Smith; both comparisons found nowhere else in the album, as Ben Stephens proceeds to tell stories and perform in a way that’s truly his own.
Airplane Anxiety is upbeat and intriguing, captivating, almost a Beach Boys alternative take with a hugely dramatic crescendo of a chorus. Great songwriting, original but satisfying and in a fresh, poignant fashion.
From the waltz to the quiet ambient wonder of Nothing, from humorous outbursts to desperate calls for connection, the utilisation of contrast throughout this project makes for a cinematic rollercoaster of deeply human experiences.
Consider the utter bounce and bravado of Skeleton Jungle Boogie or Fastu ~ Nosferatu, the atmospheric counterforce of a strangely soothing but free-flowing Nicotine Is A Prison, and the soulfully evocative simplicity and grip of Anthony’s Life. Then to finish, the sadness and celebration again walking hand in hand, for a rather brilliant artistic re-take, on Birthday / National Anthem Of The USA (To Anacreon in Heaven).
While the music is superb, the stories are next level, and that’s something you’re likely to connect with more notably on revisiting the songs of Hello World, This Is The Inside Of My Mind.
Loaded with catchy resolves, versatility in swathes, melodies and lyrical moments that are impassioned, comical, carefully heart-breaking and even dark, this album notes hints of influence from a multitude of genres, but ultimately lands with artistic conviction, amidst the boldly recognisable voice of Ben Stephens. With a six-track EP to follow later in the year, this is undoubtedly the beginning of an unmissable new chapter in the indie music rebellion of modern sound.
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