Reviews and News
Source: The Music Blog
Posted: Tuesday, September 27th, 2005
Paul Benoit is “Combustible”
Paul Benoit has just enough pop in him not to be country, and just enough country to keep him from being pop. He is one of the new breed of post-Americana songwriters who is not tied down to archaic concepts of roots music. Like contemporaries Amos Lee and Jack Johnson, he communicates a musical vision with a soulfulness that owes as much to Motown as Fred McDowell. “Combustible,” his second solo album, opens with “Elevator Ring,” a dreamy pop song that would sandwich neatly on the charts between The Flaming Lips and The Wallflowers. “Electricity” shows the influence of world music on his down home sensibilities.
Benoit is a founding member of West Coast jam band, Hanuman, with whom he recorded four albums and toured extensively throughout the states. While he doesn’t stretch out on the guitar on “Combustible,” his slide playing and bluesy breaks are sure to delight Hanuman fans. The album focuses on his songwriting and shows a solid grasp of song structures. He has a pleasant, relaxed vocal style that is perfect for the intimate stories he sings.
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