Benny Sings

Benny Sings has been around for a while. Making interesting pop-filled hits since 2003. He’s a pretty busy chap, touring and working with his other band: We’ll Make it Right, who are pushing out good quality down-tempo tracks like nobody’s business. But let’s talk about Benny’s recent release out on the Dox label. ART dropped a few weeks ago and I can honestly say that it has been on heavy rotation. The nine-track album plays like a pop throw back from yesteryear. I would compare Benny’s vocal style and sound to some of the pop greats (in my humble opinion): Gilbert O’Sullivan or Christopher Cross. Pretty much every track on ART sounds like a well thought-out, well structured and well written pop song. Sings covers the usual subjects you’d expect from a multifaceted producer, composer and singer. Living in love and losing it, abstract emotions on art and creation (sometimes even procreation!).

His production is stripped down and minimal with layers of keys and perfectly predictable melodies. Tracks like “All We Do for Love” sounded so familiar on first listen, the genius really is in the simplicity of Benny’s production/percussion and vocals. The fresh and honest sound of his voice is a rare thing to find these days. Not relying on a vocoder, but simply using his voice adds a certain charming vulnerability to the whole album. That being said, one of my favorite tracks, “Dreams”, shows Benny getting slightly robotic with some light vocal assistance. But it works well in my opinion. The song’s simple and plodding beat gives a head-nod feel that sets the perfect background for Benny’s philosophical lyrics on love and regret. In conclusion ART is cute. Well thought out and executed with perfect predictability and familiarity. In short: I really like this album. Can you tell? - potholesinmyblog

Benny Sings has been around for a while. Making interesting pop-filled hits since 2003. He’s a pretty busy chap, touring and working with his other band: We’ll Make it Right, who are pushing out good quality down-tempo tracks like nobody’s business. But let’s talk about Benny’s recent release out on the Dox label. ART dropped a few weeks ago and I can honestly say that it has been on heavy rotation. The nine-track album plays like a pop throw back from yesteryear. I would compare Benny’s vocal style and sound to some of the pop greats (in my humble opinion): Gilbert O’Sullivan or Christopher Cross. Pretty much every track on ART sounds like a well thought-out, well structured and well written pop song. Sings covers the usual subjects you’d expect from a multifaceted producer, composer and singer. Living in love and losing it, abstract emotions on art and creation (sometimes even procreation!).

His production is stripped down and minimal with layers of keys and perfectly predictable melodies. Tracks like “All We Do for Love” sounded so familiar on first listen, the genius really is in the simplicity of Benny’s production/percussion and vocals. The fresh and honest sound of his voice is a rare thing to find these days. Not relying on a vocoder, but simply using his voice adds a certain charming vulnerability to the whole album. That being said, one of my favorite tracks, “Dreams”, shows Benny getting slightly robotic with some light vocal assistance. But it works well in my opinion. The song’s simple and plodding beat gives a head-nod feel that sets the perfect background for Benny’s philosophical lyrics on love and regret. In conclusion ART is cute. Well thought out and executed with perfect predictability and familiarity. In short: I really like this album. Can you tell? - potholesinmyblog

Nothing quite beats the excitement of coming across an artist, who you had no idea existed only minutes ago, and falling in love with their sound from the jump off. The icing on the cake is when you discover that, rather than only having one or two songs floating round the web, they actually have a pretty decent-sized back catalog for you to sift through and sample. That's how I felt when I came across Dutchman Benny Sings (aka Tim Berkestijn) and his new album Art, which was released this past May. Benny cites D'Angelo, Paul McCartney, and Stevie Wonder as his influences, however the good folks over at BamaLoveSoul hit the nail on the head when they described him as a sort of modern day Hall & Oates. His particular brand of soul incorporates more than a little pop, but rather than it sounding watered down it works extremely well. Art is Benny's fourth studio album and "Big Brown Eyes," which you can stream below, is the first single. Now excuse me while I go and track down his three previous albums. - Soul Bounce

Nothing quite beats the excitement of coming across an artist, who you had no idea existed only minutes ago, and falling in love with their sound from the jump off. The icing on the cake is when you discover that, rather than only having one or two songs floating round the web, they actually have a pretty decent-sized back catalog for you to sift through and sample. That's how I felt when I came across Dutchman Benny Sings (aka Tim Berkestijn) and his new album Art, which was released this past May. Benny cites D'Angelo, Paul McCartney, and Stevie Wonder as his influences, however the good folks over at BamaLoveSoul hit the nail on the head when they described him as a sort of modern day Hall & Oates. His particular brand of soul incorporates more than a little pop, but rather than it sounding watered down it works extremely well. Art is Benny's fourth studio album and "Big Brown Eyes," which you can stream below, is the first single. Now excuse me while I go and track down his three previous albums. - Soul Bounce

Ever since Yacht Rock rekindled all of ours’ fascination with the smooth jams of the late 70's and 80's, a multitude of bands have tried to make a modernized version of the sound. Side-note: if you haven’t yet watched the Yacht Rock 12-part Mocumentary Series, then stop what you’re doing and go watch it right now. They just re-released it in Hi-Def even. Anyway, I’d say a solid 99.2% of the bands that try to embody this sound in the modern era just all-out totally fail. There’s a reason all those Hall & Oates grooves and Kenny Loggins hits are so amazing, and the key factor is that there’s no sense of irony in them. Thirty years ago, the musical world was a different place, and you were able to completely lose yourself in your own absurdity. It was a time when critical reaction was not on your mind – you could just make music that felt fucking great. Side-note #2: Steely Dan has, still does, and will always blow massive doo-doo rod. But moving on… today’s artists think that there’s something funny and ironic about making smooth music. They’re like the kids born in the 90's who go see Chromeo, and they show up in day-glo leggings and headbands because they think it’s some kind of 80's mockery music. They can’t just accept that the tunes are good, and that they should just dance like normal people – instead of pretending they’re doing a skit at their 3rd grade variety show. There is one modern artist however, that is able to fully realize the simpler moments of the smooth groove – Benny Sings.
The main reason Benny Sings is able to abandon all sense of irony is that he is Dutch. Plain and simple. If you’re from the Netherlands, then you’re born with an inherent sense of comical naivety – which sucks if you want to be a stand-up comic, but which is amazing if you want to kick out some smooth-ass jams. I’ve only recently stumbled upon the majesty of Benny Sings, and now I’m basking in all his glory. He;s still bigger in Asia and Europe than he is over here, but the dude is a fucking gem. I really can’ t believe this video for “For Your Love” has under 2,000 views! Dig in… - Is Hit Music

Ever since Yacht Rock rekindled all of ours’ fascination with the smooth jams of the late 70's and 80's, a multitude of bands have tried to make a modernized version of the sound. Side-note: if you haven’t yet watched the Yacht Rock 12-part Mocumentary Series, then stop what you’re doing and go watch it right now. They just re-released it in Hi-Def even. Anyway, I’d say a solid 99.2% of the bands that try to embody this sound in the modern era just all-out totally fail. There’s a reason all those Hall & Oates grooves and Kenny Loggins hits are so amazing, and the key factor is that there’s no sense of irony in them. Thirty years ago, the musical world was a different place, and you were able to completely lose yourself in your own absurdity. It was a time when critical reaction was not on your mind – you could just make music that felt fucking great. Side-note #2: Steely Dan has, still does, and will always blow massive doo-doo rod. But moving on… today’s artists think that there’s something funny and ironic about making smooth music. They’re like the kids born in the 90's who go see Chromeo, and they show up in day-glo leggings and headbands because they think it’s some kind of 80's mockery music. They can’t just accept that the tunes are good, and that they should just dance like normal people – instead of pretending they’re doing a skit at their 3rd grade variety show. There is one modern artist however, that is able to fully realize the simpler moments of the smooth groove – Benny Sings.
The main reason Benny Sings is able to abandon all sense of irony is that he is Dutch. Plain and simple. If you’re from the Netherlands, then you’re born with an inherent sense of comical naivety – which sucks if you want to be a stand-up comic, but which is amazing if you want to kick out some smooth-ass jams. I’ve only recently stumbled upon the majesty of Benny Sings, and now I’m basking in all his glory. He;s still bigger in Asia and Europe than he is over here, but the dude is a fucking gem. I really can’ t believe this video for “For Your Love” has under 2,000 views! Dig in… - Is Hit Music

“Benny Sings booked quite a few successes during the ten years that he is active as a singer and producer. All these successes are collected, bundled and brought together on The Best Of Benny Sings album. Besides the good old hits, there are also two new songs and some unreleased songs on the album. For the first time since a long period Benny and his full band went to the studio to record the new songs Fake Love and Rebuilding The Omega Man. Both songs are a preview of what can be expected from his fifth next album. On September 10th the first single Can You Believe It’s Magic will come out, along with a video. In addition there will appear an exclusive gold 7” vinyl via Fat Beats in America.” - Bama Love Soul

“Benny Sings booked quite a few successes during the ten years that he is active as a singer and producer. All these successes are collected, bundled and brought together on The Best Of Benny Sings album. Besides the good old hits, there are also two new songs and some unreleased songs on the album. For the first time since a long period Benny and his full band went to the studio to record the new songs Fake Love and Rebuilding The Omega Man. Both songs are a preview of what can be expected from his fifth next album. On September 10th the first single Can You Believe It’s Magic will come out, along with a video. In addition there will appear an exclusive gold 7” vinyl via Fat Beats in America.” - Bama Love Soul

Pardon the obvious, but…Benny can sing, and he does it well. From start to finish, Art–the most recent album from the Netherlands native–takes its listener on a journey through the depths of the human heart. The best part about listening? I’m not sure if I’m sipping lemonade on a checkered picnic cloth or making love in a spaceship that’s perusing the outer galaxies.

Benny sings out to his listener, connecting smooth phrases of love lost and found that leave any girl swooning with the possibility that Benny did, in fact, release this album specifically for her. Lyrics like “All we see is each other… All we see is love” and “All we do for love, is it worth it? Can we prove its existence?” are just two that had me convinced.

Regardless, Art is truly an album written for the masses. In addition to its smooth love songs, the album also stands out with celebrated dance tunes, including the tracks “Big Brown Eyes” and “Honey Bee”. (Shower singers unite!) The album’s steady beats and simple lyrical structure offer a little something for everyone, and is something everyone should be listening to. Perhaps his most playful track, “This is a Samba” resonates a clean ba-tat-tat that will get stuck in listeners’ heads for a good afternoon, if not a good hour at least.

My only doubt about Benny is that maybe his music is a little too easy to listen to; I found myself drifting a bit far into his dreamy trance. Regardless, the album is a perfect formula for keeping listeners on their toes, through the slow times and the fast. So sing on, Benny, sing on.

-Kalee Olson - Okay Player

Pardon the obvious, but…Benny can sing, and he does it well. From start to finish, Art–the most recent album from the Netherlands native–takes its listener on a journey through the depths of the human heart. The best part about listening? I’m not sure if I’m sipping lemonade on a checkered picnic cloth or making love in a spaceship that’s perusing the outer galaxies.

Benny sings out to his listener, connecting smooth phrases of love lost and found that leave any girl swooning with the possibility that Benny did, in fact, release this album specifically for her. Lyrics like “All we see is each other… All we see is love” and “All we do for love, is it worth it? Can we prove its existence?” are just two that had me convinced.

Regardless, Art is truly an album written for the masses. In addition to its smooth love songs, the album also stands out with celebrated dance tunes, including the tracks “Big Brown Eyes” and “Honey Bee”. (Shower singers unite!) The album’s steady beats and simple lyrical structure offer a little something for everyone, and is something everyone should be listening to. Perhaps his most playful track, “This is a Samba” resonates a clean ba-tat-tat that will get stuck in listeners’ heads for a good afternoon, if not a good hour at least.

My only doubt about Benny is that maybe his music is a little too easy to listen to; I found myself drifting a bit far into his dreamy trance. Regardless, the album is a perfect formula for keeping listeners on their toes, through the slow times and the fast. So sing on, Benny, sing on.

-Kalee Olson - Okay Player

It is the end of the year and blogs are buzzing about the best and worst songs of 2012. However some bloggers are highlighting the songs that slipped under the radar. While reading NPR’s post about the Top Five Slept-On R&B Songs of 2012 I discovered the fantastic voice of Benny Sings. Frank Ocean was topping charts internationally, but Dutch singer Benny Sings quietly released a marvelous collection of modern r&b tunes with smooth production and lyrics. In October Benny Sings released The Best of Benny Sings, a collection of the singer’s songs over the past decade. It also includes 2 new tracks, Rebuilding the Omega Man and my new favorite song, Fake Love. Benny Sings has not made much of a splash here in the US (yet), but back home he is working his way up to international fame. Recently he performed for Radio Nova, a popular French radio broadcast. The rising star sites jazz musician Michael Franks as his inspiration and plays the bass for hip-hop band, Abstract Dialect. Benny Sings has an enchanting sound. He is a mix of jazz and soul with an electronic touch sometimes. A voice worth checking out. This collection is a true pleasure from beginning to end.
- Stevie Music Blog

It is the end of the year and blogs are buzzing about the best and worst songs of 2012. However some bloggers are highlighting the songs that slipped under the radar. While reading NPR’s post about the Top Five Slept-On R&B Songs of 2012 I discovered the fantastic voice of Benny Sings. Frank Ocean was topping charts internationally, but Dutch singer Benny Sings quietly released a marvelous collection of modern r&b tunes with smooth production and lyrics. In October Benny Sings released The Best of Benny Sings, a collection of the singer’s songs over the past decade. It also includes 2 new tracks, Rebuilding the Omega Man and my new favorite song, Fake Love. Benny Sings has not made much of a splash here in the US (yet), but back home he is working his way up to international fame. Recently he performed for Radio Nova, a popular French radio broadcast. The rising star sites jazz musician Michael Franks as his inspiration and plays the bass for hip-hop band, Abstract Dialect. Benny Sings has an enchanting sound. He is a mix of jazz and soul with an electronic touch sometimes. A voice worth checking out. This collection is a true pleasure from beginning to end.
- Stevie Music Blog