Alec Benjamin (un)commentary

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin has announced the release of his sophomore album (Un)Commentary out on April 15th via Elektra Records. The album will feature 13 tracks including the previously released "The Way You Felt," "Older," and "Shadow Of Mine," out now with the accompanying music video directed by Gus Black (Phoebe Bridgers, Sheryl Crow). The song is a moody and mesmerizing piece that speaks to the futility of trying to outrun your demons. Alec observes, "A lot of the time you think your problems are the product of your environment, when in reality they exist inside you." (Un)Commentary came to life through a relentless questioning of the world around him: the pressures and disappointments of adulthood, the indignities of social-media addiction, existential anxiety and angst, and countless other manifestations of what he refers to as "raw human nature."

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin will release his new album, 12 Notes, on May 10.
Benjamin has already released tracks like ‘King Size Bed’, ‘I Sent My Therapist To Therapy’ and ‘Pick Me’ from the album that have all been successful. “Each track, a poignant reflection of the past year and a half of my life, offers a unique glimpse into my world. From heartaches to triumphs,” Benjamin said. “My goal is to share my journey and stories with my listeners. I am both thrilled and apprehensive to share this intimate collection, as each song carries a piece of my heart, echoing both excitement and vulnerability.”

in 2022, Benjamin now continues his story. "(Un)Commentary" is called album number two, the next chapter. he wrote 13 songs for it with Dan Wilson (Adele, Leon Bridges), Charlie Puth (Justin Bieber, John Legend), Sam Roman (Rømans) and Nolan Lambrosa (Sir Nolan), among others. They were produced by Sir Nolan (Kehlani, Selena Gomez), Sam de Jong (Lennon Stella, Gary Clark Jr.) and Rømans (Mary J Blige, Khalid).

Is Alec Benjamin Gen Z’s folk-pop ambassador? The Phoenix area singer-songwriter draws on the poetic sensibilities of his idols—John Mayer, Paul Simon, Eminem, and Jason Mraz—and adds a youthful perspective (“I saw it on the news one day/When the towers fell down/September’s not the same place now,” he sings on “1994,” a tribute to the year he was born). Older listeners will find plenty to connect with; most of these songs are classic coming-of-age stories about shifting family dynamics (“If We Have Each Other”), broken hearts ("Annabelle’s Homework”), and learning things the hard way (“Boy in the Bubble”). Benjamin’s gentle tenor and heart-on-sleeve lyricism evoke a level of intimacy that can feel, at times, like eavesdropping: He spirals into extreme hypotheticals (“If I Killed Someone for You”) and fantasizes about what would be different if he’d been braver (“Water Fountain”). These are heavy admissions, but the bright hooks and tuneful melodies make them go down easier.

CRD is releasing a programme of British organ music on the Dobson Organ of Saint Thomas Church, Fifith Avenue, New York City, played by noted concert organist Benjamin Sheen. This collection contains a swath of organ music from composers such as William Walton, John Ireland, Thomas Tallis and including world premiere recordings of an arrangement of an Elgar piece, In London Town by Benjamin Sheen’s father, Graham Sheen, as well as a world premiere recording on Lacrimae by Andrew Carter, written in the memory of John Scott.

After Alec Frank-Gemmill's critically acclaimed recordings of nineteenth-century works for horn and piano, chamber music by Brahms and pre-Mozart horn concertos, a version of Mozart's famous horn concertos from him has been eagerly awaited. As on his disc of concertante works, he is accompanied here by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra conducted by an expert in 18th-century style, Nicholas McGegan.