Reviews
Garrin Benfield: Music to our Ears
by David Ortmann
originally appeared in Q San Francisco magazine, July 2002
Garrin Benfield may very well be one of San Francisco's best-kept musical secrets, but with the release of his second CD Nowhere Is Brighter we may have to get used to sharing him with the rest of the universe. Benfield's music is at once simple and profound, filled with genuine emotion, personal tales both painful and uplifting, and delivered with a unique style and spirit rarely found in contemporary young singer/songwriters.
I had the pleasure of seeing Garrin Benfield recently at San Francisco's legendary Great American Music Hall. The management, not predicting a large crowd, closed the second floor leaving patrons relegated to the main level only. Luckily, I squeezed myself into a space right up front for my first taste of this artist, performing solo that evening-just the man, his words, and his guitar.
Garrin Benfield, like Muir Woods, is one of California's great natural beauties, so let's just get that little fact out of the way right now. His appeal, however, does not end there. Sweetly unassuming and humble, with eyes like thawing iceberg, Benfield forsakes the glittery trapping and gratuitous angst of most young performers. Clad in all black, he is a small man with the face of an angel and the energy of a thoroughbred. Not since Edith Piaf has an artist so slight in stature filled an entire hall with such tangible force. Benfield sang his way through some favorites from his first CD Living A Dream (produced by eighth note records © 2000) including "What You're Hiding", a hauntingly beautiful yet simple tribute to the late Matthew Shepard, and Gillian Welch's foot-stomping "Wichita." It was clear from the audience's whoops, hollers, and standing ovations at the end of his set that we were ready for some more.
Benfield's second CD, scheduled for a Spring 2002 release is nothing short of a promise fulfilled. Nowhere Is Brighter is a journey into the heart and soul of what makes people love, feel, grow, hold tight, and sometimes walk away. Benfield is steeped in the traditional rhythms of blues and bluegrass, but manages to incorporate the jamming of classic rock and roll with quiet poetry and good old-fashioned fun. Like the early works of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and even that of Dar Williams, you feel clean and refreshed after spending some time with his music. More importantly, after listening to both his freshman and sophomore CDs, it is clear that Benfield is growing, exploring, and developing. Perhaps this is what distinguishes a truly evolving musical talent from just another pretty boy with a nice voice.
In Nowhere Is Brighter, Benfield channels his pain and joy into songs such as "Home," "Will," and "Crazy Love." "Lonely Journey" is a musical poem that explores the existential alienation felt by anyone who has ever loved, lost, and loved again. "Lonely Ghost" strikes a thorny balance between love, yearning, and anger. For those who have ever kicked back with friends in a field and felt they were communing with the trees and flowers around them, Benfield's instrumental "Acid In The Meadow" captures the magical bliss of beautiful days in the country.
"Nowhere is Brighter" is a dreamscape wrought with tender yearning, a sense of quiet contentment, and showcases the powerful, almost lullaby-quality of Benfield's voice with haunting fluidity. With a generous sixteen tracks, Nowhere Is Brighter is a musical tapestry not to be overlooked.
I am pleased to report that, by Benfield's second song, the management of The Great American Music Hall was scrambling around their dancing and clapping patrons to open the second floor to accommodate the crowd that came to see him. With his undeniable talent and personal charisma, I seriously doubt the journey of Garrin Benfield is going to be lonely for very much longer.
For further information on Garrin Benfield, his touring schedule, and his upcoming CD Nowhere Is Brighter, pay a visit to his website at www.garrin.com.