Caribbean-American musician and singer-songwriter Benjamin Carter drops his highly inventive new EP Black Boys On The Radio: Part I. This new release sees the artist drumming up an energetic and explosive indie alt/rock sound that ranges in pace from dreamy to frantic.
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Black Boys On The Radio: Part I is the perfect soundtrack for those on the cusp of something new or in the midst of a transitional period. It’s deep thinking, reflective, yet outward, and comes from a mind searching for answers and eager to share what he’s learned so far. It moves with a swift, sweeping motion, saturated in a motivating angst and combines some of the best elements of alternative indie rock.
Opening with ”Psycho,” a sun-drenched stunner with dreamy guitars set to a laid back West coast indie pop saunter, Benjamin Carter pairs reflective and confessional lyrics with insanely danceable instrumentals that spiral into the confrontational and more high paced single, ”Finish the Job.”
Carter’s new EP reflects in part his experience as a Black man in America and how American culture seems quick to praise Black individuals who are famous athletes or entertainers, but is still disparaging toward others in the Black American community. This is most heavily saturated in the title track, ”Black Boys on the Radio.”
“The song and project can be summed up almost entirely based off the very first line in the song ‘Black Boys on the Radio,’” notes Carter. “The first line says ‘she says Black boys always play on the radio, I said, ‘its strange how you listen but don’t have time to watch me grow.’ … It’s not enough to pay the actor, rapper, or athlete and say “look we aren’t racist” we must each – Black, white, Latin, Asian – etc be vulnerable and willing to own up to our mistakes and look for ways to grow. This is why the chorus sings ‘and I know if I cry it’ll make you stay, so please don’t, please don’t run away.’”
On a whole, the EP comes together to tell an interesting story of self-discovery as well as questioning why things are the way they are. It’s fresh, witty and comes from a multi-dimensional individual.
Benjamin Carter will be playing June 24 in LA supporting M.A.G.S. at Baader House as part of MakeOutMusic Presents. You can learn more and join the waitlist for tickets here.
Words: Patti Sanchez
For more on Benjamin Carter, make sure to visit his website and follow him on Instagram.
