When an album never requires a song to be be skipped, instead captivating you with each moment, each line- The album has achieved a melodic perfection that is hard to come by in this day and age. Benjamin Francis Leftwich's Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm is a masterpiece, immediately relaxing and infinitely beautiful.
The album opens with "Pictures," a song that has been making rounds around the music blogs for a while now. Benjamin's lyrics never shy away from the brutal reality of life, yet somehow manage to bring light into the darkest of situations. A step forward from his previous two EP's, Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm is a true example of what an artist can do when they spend multiple years working on an album- not to mention this is his debut album, and it's better than most of the discs in my iTunes library.
Benjamin began working on the album four years ago, starting off with a few songs here and there. Over the course of those four years he released a few videos and two EP's leading up to the release of his debut album on Monday.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6N3jUDKzq0[/youtube]
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"Pictures" is the opening track for the album and was part of the Pictures – EP released in March that really helped get Benjamin some exposure. The song touches base with some of the hardest moments in life, and guides you on with a way to deal with them.
You can purchase the EP on iTunes Here [itunes link="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/see-you-soon/id419861969?uo=4" title="BPictures – EP"]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sin9PRz583E[/youtube]
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The video for "Box of Stones" dropped on May 3 delivering an excellent preview for the album, and received a ton of feedback from indie music blogs and lovers alike. Similar to the rest of the songs on the album, "Box of Stones" features simple drums and a soothing guitar riff that work perfectly as a back drop to Benjamin's chilling voice.
Shot's O' Milk:
BONUS DOWNLOAD
Check out Benjamin's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City."
The Full Gallon:
DOWNLOAD: Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm
Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm takes you out of the chaos that surrounds us and gently puts you down in a room of tranquility. The album is one of the best I've heard in years and Benjamin Francis Leftwich is an example of a singer/songwriter at it's best. Do yourself a favor and buy the album online and support this up-and-coming talent.
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