Content warning for references to lynching, slavery, racism and bigotry.
Benjamin Booker is an eclectic singer with influences across the board sound-wise. Equally inspired by rock, electronic, pop and R&B, it’s difficult to pinpoint what a new Benjamin Booker album would sound like and what subject material it would draw upon. However, he returned with singles and eventually released a full album. “LOWER” is his first project release in eight years after he disappeared with 2017’s “Witness,” though he resurfaced with features on art rapper billy woods and producer Kenny Segal’s song “Baby Steps” in 2023, as well as experimental art rap duo Armand Hammer’s song “Doves” in 2024.
“BLACK OPPS,” the name likely being a reference to the “Call of Duty” video game franchise, reintroduces the hazy, raspy and borderline wheezy voice that Booker had previously used on “Doves.” The voice will stay for almost the entire album, but it’s executed in a way that is pleasant to the ears. Programmed drums and a chaotically abrasive electric guitar greet the audience.
The lyrics juxtapose idealistic expressions of giving love and having dreams, but right after those words, there are lyrics paired with them that paint a picture of brutal violence and paranoia. Booker is likely commenting on how positivity, especially by those who want to change the world, oftentimes are met with toxic negativity that manifests physically into violence. The chorus “And before I get away, I’ll be buried in this place. Hallelujah, dying fighting for a life I ain’t had yet” further drives home the point of the struggle for human and civil rights, along with the martyrdom many have unfortunately faced because of such goals for a better world that is more hospitable for all.
“LWA IN THE TRAILER PARK” begins with a juicy synth before an electric guitar and programmed drums are added into the mix. The lyrics are simple but impactful. Booker highlights the stigma that people from (presumably) inner-city or otherwise “urban” backgrounds have, singing “I see the way they talk about people on this side of town” and “No one will ever love me.” Booker repeatedly confesses “I wanna live a good life” which is pitted in juxtaposition against the “No one will ever love me” line.
“POMPEII STATUES” has a beautiful acoustic guitar playing with more programmed drums, later including piano and electronic synths. This mixture of organic and produced sounds feels typical for Benjamin Booker, but it’s nonetheless well-executed. This song is nothing short of gorgeous. The lyrics feel like poetry in this song, particularly with its vivid descriptions of “We see a woman screaming, spirits above her head / A guitarrón is playing a ballad for the dead.”
“SLOW DANCE IN A GAY BAR” is certainly an anthem for gay men. With a relaxed production that almost sounds like lo-fi hip-hop, Booker’s voice is front-and-center in the best way possible. His goal to “start a modern family” by finding “a good man” through “hanging out in gay bars” is admirable.
Although this entire song is beautiful by all means, the bridge’s lyrics may just be the most beautiful part: “I am beginning to see the beauty all around me / What this life can be.” When juxtaposed with all the lyrics from the songs prior about race-motivated murders, bigotry and self-loathing, something so simple can be so effective.
“REBECCA LATIMER FELTON TAKES A BBC” is quite the provocative title to say the least, if a little humorous. Rebecca Latimer Felton was the first woman to hold a seat in the United States Senate, serving for only one day. Although she was a feminist, she was also a white supremacist who supported lynching and “owned” enslaved people, being the last member of the United States Congress to do so. “BBC” certainly does not refer to the British Broadcasting Corporation in the title. For those who know what a BBC is in this context — can you also find the humor in this to cope with the cruelty and bigotry of this world?
Booker has quite a multilayered sense of humor, which ties into his saddening lyrics to drive his point home. Depressed people who are sick and jaded of this world tend to have interesting senses of humor, after all. The song itself plays with the idea that Felton enslaved the protagonist, though it initially masquerades as a bitter break-up song. The outro line, “Just like you wanted” is repeated four times after detailing imagery of lynchings, which makes the song even more haunting. This song is super creative: brilliant, even. Booker can tackle complex issues poignantly and succinctly.
“NEW WORLD” flips the colonial idea of the “New World” (which was only “new” to the colonizers) on its head. Booker proclaims, “I’m the new world” and “I know you can’t look in the mirror / You can’t be who you are without me / Without me beneath you” in reference to trans-Atlantic slavery.
“SAME KIND OF LONELY” returns to the topics of love and dreams, as depicted in the opener for the album. There is an unnerving sample of someone shooting a firearm and people screaming. It is unknown why this sample was included, but it’s likely a callback to the gun violence in “BLACK OPPS.” Still, it’s understandable why the edgy sample puts people off from liking this song.
The song itself is phenomenal: five-and-a-half minutes of bliss with drums, bass and an electric guitar under experimental pop conventions about the pursuit of love. The twist is that both parties are lonely, but not the same type of lonely.
Good art can be time-consuming. I’m glad Benjamin Booker wasn’t influenced to drop an album every two years like most musicians, but instead took his time to perfect his craft. These are important messages to convey with great instrumentation. Welcome back, Booker.
Rating: 4.25/5