On BEN, his first album in six years, Macklemore battles to rekindle a love for life. That journey is a gripping 54 minutes in what is a triumphant return to form for the 39-year-old.
Ever since parting ways with producer Ryan Lewis in 2016, it’s felt as if Macklemore had been wandering without real direction. His first solo album since 2005, GEMINI, dropped in 2017 but save radio-ready singles ‘Glorious’ and ‘Good Old Days’, it was a confused project that failed to reach his lofty heights.
What makes BEN so brilliant is Macklemore emerges with a view of the world that is crystal clear – he wants to live.
For the star, the pandemic proved a hard reset. Macklemore has always been outspoken about his struggles with addiction and the inability to attend in-person 12-step meetings during quarantine led to a relapse.
That battle takes centre stage on BEN, titled after Macklemore’s real name Ben Haggerty. It’s at its most evident on ‘TEARS’, a striking ballad to liquor that tracks the long battle with addiction the artist has faced.
From reaching to the cabinet for the first time to throwing up in McDonald’s and ruining prom, it’s a brave three minutes that has you stopping and rewinding to lap up every word.
“It kills me to think of a life without you, but sometimes I wonder if you want me to die too,” he admits before realising that “the whole time the issue was me”.
On ‘FAITHFUL’ NLE Choppa lends a hand to pen Macklemore a letter begging him to pick life and ‘I NEED’ has the star spiralling in the desire for more and more.
The middle chunk of BEN is heavy listening, even the star’s at times playful production doesn’t take away from the cut of his lyrics.
It’s a gripping tale that eventually opens up into airy redemption flick ‘SORRY’ as Macklemore throws the blinds open to see the beauty in what’s around him. Livingston jumps on the chorus whose tender hopefulness is a touching listen.
The trio of tracks that follow are an ode to wanting to live. On ‘GOD’S WILL’ Macklemore turns to deity and on ‘I KNOW’ he begs for one more shot to “show the world what I got like”.
Album closer ‘TAIL LIGHTS’ is one of the album’s most powerful as the rapper takes a deep breath before choosing the right fork in the road – “my favourite artists are my two little girls, I see freedom first hand in what they make with the crayons,” he smiles.
The meat and bones of BEN lays in that fight for life, but before it gets dark Macklemore opens the whole project up with a blast of joie de vivre.
The star’s album openers have always been strong and ‘CHANT’ with Tones And I is a calm exposition of what’s to come.
Elsewhere, ‘NO BAD DAYS’ with Collett packs a beautiful punch that ought to be blasted loud and ‘MANIAC’ with Windser is a newfound groove for the artist.
BEN‘s best moment, and potentially Macklemore’s career-best, comes in ‘DAY YOU DIE’ alongside Sarah Barthel and Phantogram. It’s message? Catharsis is one hell of a medicine.
Welcome back, Macklemore.
Rating – 5/5
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