Benjamin Diamond - Out Of Myself

Benjamin Diamond continues to step out of the shadow of his most famous project, Stardust. On OUT OF MYSELF, he invests himself in guitar pop, rather than disco house, with admirable results. But in an already crowded field, can he distinguish himself? Not surprisingly enough, the tracks that integrate electronic elements are the ones that stand out: “Let’s Get High” is appropriately blissful, and “These Emotions” manages to overcome its own cliché. “Sun is Shining” has that perkiness that makes it immediately catchy—it almost could have come off Diamond’s first album, STRANGE ATTITUDE. (“No One Knows” is not as lucky, however, even as it swings into house tempo.) But Diamond also has a chance to show off his knack at songwriting—“Give Me the Grace” wears its swooning romanticism on its sleeve, while “Out of Myself” is pure power pop. “She’s Away” enhances the acoustic guitar with slight electronic tweaks. A step in the right direction, even if there are minor stumbles along the way.

This has got to be one of the most addictive album I have come accross in the last year or so. This album showcases Benjamin's true talent as a singer and songwriter, making this album refreshing, inventive and just plain delicious ear-candy. I have a lot of difficulty identifying any fillers on this CD, as every track is very good on their own, but I must point out that "Lights In The Sky", "I Wish", "There Is A Girl" and the beautifuly crafted "She's Away" stand out as my favorite tracks. Benjamin's very own mixture of beautiful pop vocals and blend of electro-pop-rock music sure is a winning combination.