Review: Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now
Benjamin Clementine
At Least For Now
Behind Records / Barclay
The North London singer-songwriter Benjamin Clementine has had a seemingly bumpy ride up to now. Brought up by very strict Christian parents and he began busking in Paris, making a hard living pedalling his own soulful interpretation of the world around him. His fearless performance on Later With Jools Holland in 2012 showcased his raw, refreshing talent, and that same boldness would be expected on At Least For Now.
Stark at first with just his voice and heavy-handed piano, ‘Winston Churchill’s Boy’ warms up when strings and percussion are introduced. The narrative seems to echo Clementine’s own journeys in Paris, crossing the channel, with instrument in hand, embraced by the French culture as a foreign character keen to find a place to belong (this same sentiment is present in ‘Cornerstone’). Clementine’s voice erupts at the climax of the song where he launches into a surprising jazzy melody in the higher register of his range. His exceptional voice sounds best in these moments, where he confidently bursts into loud howls and screams.
However, with his sporadic cadence and overzealousness with wordy prose, there’s a forced sense of a traveller’s worldly wisdom, which sometimes comes off as lyricism for the sake of it. At times it’s vague and at moments ridiculous, with lines from ‘Nemesis’ like “if chewing was to show you how much I cared, I’d probably be wearing dentures by now” which feels like misplaced humour, and the refrain, “treat others like you wish to be treated” which is plainly unimaginative.
It feels as if Clementine avoided all artistic compromise or influence from peers and has written in his own uncensored style, which is admirable, despite the lyricism and delivery suffering on occasion. A simplified style would emphasise his fantastic voice, but his signature approach to song craft would be unwantedly diluted. A haunting and honest sound like this is best preserved in its purest form.
6.7/10
Dan Cook