“Show and Tell” - Benjamin Booker

So, Benjamin Booker wasn’t on my radar until December 11, 2024, when he released his 3-track EP, “Same Kind of Lonely / Show and Tell” (via Thirty Tigers). (Or is it a double-single along with previously-released track, “LWA in the Trailer Park?” Who knows? It’s 2024 and music release strategies are all sorts of funky these days.)

Semantics!

“Same Kind of Lonely” is a good track, but it’s really “Show and Tell” that stands out between the two. It’s got such a groove, such a FEEL. Its catchy melody gets stuck in your ear, and the production is MPC-vibey with the scratchy guitar and hip-hop beat made to sound like samples. (Who knows, maybe they are samples, but they sound like original tracks made to sound sampledelic.) Booker’s scratchy vocals are perfectly suited for this downtempo groove; and the solid production all-around makes this one easy to put on repeat.