Benji. - Love Gun 2 (EP)
“Love Gun II” serves as the second installment of Benji’s Love Gun series that was first released in October of 2023. “Love Gun” was 4 songs, 14 minutes long and flawless. Once I learned there was going to be another project built off it, I was ecstatic because I was so impressed by what Benji put together on “Love Gun”.
You know when you’re checking out a new book and you can either read the back or the inside cover for some insight on what the book is about? That back/inside cover is symbolic of what “Love Gun” represents in this series— it was an introduction to who Benji is as an artist and musician, while being intriguing enough to want to know more. To hear more.
“Love Gun II” is when you open the book and start really getting to the heart of it. With a total of 8 tracks, Benji utilizes this half an hour by staying true to the quality he presented on the album’s predecessor in terms of song writing, vocals, instrumentation and overall musicality. And he does all of that while simultaneously introducing a new sonic palette to the listener.
One of the stand-out components on “Love Gun” was the use of instruments in the production and the vibrancy it added to the music. From strings, to percussion, to horns, it’s all here. We get that same effect on “Love Gun II” but in a completely different way. While the project still highlights elements of Soul and R&B, we also get sounds of Rock and Alternative, which was really exciting to hear. It feels like a celebratory declaration of not being confined to any one sound and to giving us a deeper look into who Benji, the artist and musician, is.
To also be admired, is the song writing; especially in relation to the theme of the album. Singing about standing outside your lovers window with a radio, singing their favorite song, is exactly the type of serenading we should expect on a project titled “Love Gun”. In addition to lines like: “because i want ya and i need ya, imma fly across the world to come see ya”, “can you meet by the reservoir, underneath the shooting stars, mesmerized by who you are”, and “when the days turn old, we’ll keep making memories to commemorate our souls”, to name a few. To the real lovers, we are so back.
If you appreciate true musicianship, this is a must listen. “Love Gun II” is a reclamation of sound and artistic identity.