Benji
Sun Kil Moon
Benji may be one of the most emotionally devastating and human albums ever made. Sun Kil Moon strips songwriting down to its barest form, turning ordinary memories and storybook like lyrics into something overwhelmingly personal yet universally relatable. Every song feels less like a performance and more like someone recounting their life directly to you. It is not an easy listen, but it is an unforgettable one.
Open on Apple MusicBenji is truly a masterpiece. After listening, it feels as if no artist in all of existence has ever conveyed emotions as fully as Sun Kil Moon does on Benji. Sun Kil Moon takes you through childhood, death and despair, friendships, and love, all over sonically hypnotic guitar work reminiscent of Midwest folk music. Songs like Carissa and I Love My Dad somehow perfectly capture emotions everyone knows but cannot describe.
“Carissa” is a song about the feeling when someone you know dies and it feels like you have to find a reason for their death despite not knowing them well. “I Love My Dad” is a homage to how his father helped create the man he is today, and how every decision he made led to that, whether good or bad. Still, he loves his father for making the decisions he did.
Those are just some of the heavy songwriting hitters, but this album contains so much more. I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love is a beautifully poetic ode to his mother and her existence, Micheline is a deep dive into his emotions about the people in his life growing up, and Ben's My Friend is my personal favorite. There is a lot to love about this album, and it is truly worth the time to listen to it.
