Alec Benjamin – Jesus In LA
Despite a preponderance of men who look like Jesus in Los Angeles, in his new single, Alec Benjamin asserts that you won’t find “Jesus In LA.” The 25 year old Phoenix native has slowly built a loyal following after releasing his EP “Narrated For You” in late 2018. The runaway success of “Let Me Down Slowly” earned the singer-songwriter an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden. He also released a version of the track featuring Alessia Cara.
“Jesus In LA” continues Benjamin’s already established pattern of deeply personal storytelling, much like an early Taylor Swift, through weaving a vivid tapestry of lyrical imagery. He refers to himself as a “narrator” rather a singer and is reminiscent of a young Paul Simon or an emotionally stable Leonard Cohen.
The story that Benjamin “narrates” in “Jesus In LA” is like a mix of Guns N’ Roses “Welcome To The Jungle” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” The track tells of the deal with the Devil that one can make while trying to break into the music industry and the seductive sway of the temptations of LA. Based on his own experience of getting signed, moving to LA and subsequently getting dropped from his label and having to move home. He has a long history of taking his intense emotional experiences and illustrating his experience via his songwriting. He wrote his first song, “Beautiful Pain,’ about the death of his grandfather.
The “outsider looking in” perspective is part of what makes Benjamin so relatable. Everyone can identify with isolation, loneliness and feeling profoundly uncool. He is so profoundly uncool that it somehow makes him incredibly cool.
In a post on Instagram, Benjamin stated that “The song isn’t a literal take on religion or about Jesus at all. It’s about searching for hope and happiness and realizing those things aren’t always where you think you’ll find.” This sincerity and emotional honesty along with his somewhat androgynous tenor vocals have led to increasing acclaim and popularity.
The singer-songwriter kicks off his Caught In The Middle tour on August 16th in Tokyo, Japan. Benjamin has a long and successful career ahead of him and will probably look “just 16” for the next 20 years. Check out the video for “Jesus In LA” on YouTube and listen to the track on streaming services now.