Benjamin Francis Leftwich // The Waterfront - 19.10.12
They say variety is the spice of life; I’d have to say Benjamin Francis Leftwich was more like cumin than saffron.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich is a “fucking magical lizard”, his words, not mine. He’s also incredibly middle of the road, much like if the aforementioned lizard lost his powers halfway across Route 66, couldn’t magic out of the way of oncoming traffic, and got flattened by an SUV. OK, I’ll admit it, that’s maybe a little harsh, but the analogy was too good to pass up. As I’m on a roll, allow me to use another outrageous metaphor. They say variety is the spice of life; on the merit of tonight’s disappointingly one dimensional performance, I’d have to say Benjamin Francis Leftwich was more like cumin than saffron.
OK, enough flights of fancy, it’s serious muso time. So I think the problem with Benjamin Francis Leftwich is that his voice, although moving, is only really suited to one style. The breathy production and subtle layers of his studio takes exude quality, but when placed in a live setting that charm quickly evaporates into something lamentably flat.
It’s not that his songs aren’t well composed, or well received; respective opener and closer ‘Pictures’ and ‘Atlas Hands’ show that Benjamin knows his way around a tune, it’s just that the rest of his set didn’t challenge the quality of those moments in any way. Despite efforts at full band arrangements, a wistful, unplugged rendition of ‘Maps’, and an Arcade Fire cover (which was pretty lacklustre), the whole thing was just too monotonous.
It’s a shame, but the reality is that with numerous other performers excelling in his field, Benjamin Francis Leftwich just can’t keep up. Just like Justin Vernon, James Vincent McMorrow and Ben Howard, Benjamin’s music is meant to be cherished by young couples as a kind of soundtrack to their love. Well, I went to the gig with my girlfriend, but instead of being swept away by the occasion, we left underwhelmed and a little tired, which kind of says it all.
Alex Throssell
