In the last couple of years we have seen Punk and Pop music cross pollinate at an increasing rate, perhaps to their detriment. As a result, listeners are often left with abstractions of both genres, mutually aiming to assimilate but coinciding into products that are often void of real content and edge. Ben Kidson has done the opposite. Having been immersed in both genres, Kidson creates music without intent to please, and as a result he often prevails with seamless applications of his influences. His latest release, “Linger” is a delicate, yet gritty, ballad that fuzes striking vocals with pensive soundscapes. His efforts do not go unrecognized on this site; Ben Kidson maintains the authenticity that Pop music desperately craves and the humility that is often lacking in the Punk scene.
“Linger” could be about a lot of things. It remains relevant in the context of relationships but still holds water to even the darkest considerations. Largely, “Linger” is about a sense of impending doom. Not of the world, yet of anything. If things come to an end, why do we, as humans, have it in our nature to hold on until the last moment. Desperately scrambling to maintain life, order, and sameness. Are we afraid to move on? These are some of the questions that Ben Kidson provokes on “Linger”. The production does well to fuel these thoughts, existing in pensivity and constantly introducing new considerations through sound. Kindson’s vocals fluctuate between an almost calming, almost optimistic, smoothness and gritty bites of confusion and spite. “Linger” is in essence the perfect example of genre-blending in that when listened to in different contexts it can be experienced completely in different ways. Kidson is showing immense signs of promise and we should all be excited for what else is to come.
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