The Brilliant Inventions and Benjamin R

The Brilliant Inventions “Have You Changed”
The Atlanta Singer/Songwriter duo have a bright folk pop style that they demonstrate well on the opener “Isn’t It Worth It.” Both Josh Lamkin and Eliot Bronson both play guitar and harmonize together to bring a natural sound that may remind a few of The Rembrandts and a good example of this is on the next track “Have You Changed.” Clearly they have a really good sound and are skilled musicians. The Ben Folds-lite piano song “There Goes My Heart” almost works, but the fast paced “If You Want It” clearly pushes into power pop territory along the lines of Fountains of Wayne. And these guys also excel at the ballads here, as the soulful “Lights You Up” chimes away and lends a very Del Amitri flavor to the song. The slower tracks like “You Don’t Have To Be Strong” and “We Don’t Have The Words” sound beautiful, but leave your memory quickly. The energetic “Tell Her I’m Gone” is lyrically a lot of fun with lines like “what am I gonna do with a dog and cat/I told her they died so she wouldn’t come back” and “Restless” seems to channel Glen Tilbrook a little bit. But the guys need to take it to the next level as far as songwriting goes, and pop some hooks into a chorus now and then. Until that time give these guys a listen, and they might just grow on you.

Benjamin R “The Other Side Of Nowhere”
Robert Selvaggio aka Benjamin R was a music producer for bands like Eagle Eye Cherry and Puddle Of Mudd. He steps out from behind the production booth with his own material here. Robert makes good use of his studio smarts, and the sound on the opener “Quit” is quite impressive. Sounding like a cross between adult oriented pop and rootsy rock, similar to Neil Diamond or Ric Ocasik. Some nice touches and electric violin on “History” make it a great ballad. “Not Gonna Let You Go” has a good chorus, and the steady guitar rhythms and organ lead make it the most Cars-like. Another good song is “Time is Running Out” and the slightly celtic rhythms of the mid-tempo “Letters.” Some songs are very emotionally strong, like “I Don’t Need This Anymore.” The entire album’s theme sounds like the script for a slow painful divorce and the angst clearly runs in a progression from “Falling Apart” to “This Time (I Hope You’re Happy)” – not so cheerful, but a solid debut.