Ben Platt, Sing to Me Instead | Album Review

Broadway actor, singer, and songwriter Ben Platt ‘shines bright as a beacon’ on his authentic, well-rounded debut album, Sing to Me Instead.

If you’ve never heard of Ben Platt, well, get to know this dude. Platt is a Broadway actor, singer, and songwriter, who has appeared in some of the biggest Broadway productions in recent times.  Do the likes of The Book of Mormon and Dear Evan Hansen ring a bell? Now, the actor-musician brings his awesome vocals talents to the recording studio, releasing his debut album, Sing to Me Instead, following an impressive slate of singles (“Bad Habit”, “Ease My Mind”, “Temporary Love” and “Grow as We Go”).

“Bad Habit”

Opener ✓ “Bad Habit” may not be representative of pop music in the modern vein, but, the sincerity that Ben Platt brings to the table with this adult contemporary-styled pop is much more rewarding and aims bigger. Platt does what he does best throughout Sing to Me Instead – sing ballads.  He shows off his incredible voice, chocked-full of nuance, power, and most of all, authenticity (Yeah, I use that word a lot to describe this project). In addition to top-notch vocals, “Bad Habit” benefits from its production work, with its prominent piano, soulful organ, and accentuating backing vocals. The backdrop isn’t ‘game changing,’ but feels totally right in the hands of Platt.  Furthermore, it allows this compelling musician to be the focal point. Even so, “Bad Habit” has some nice harmonic underpinnings that bode well in its favor, and the music reminisces back to the pop of the 70s (Think Elton John or Billy Joel).

✓ “Ease My Mind” is a soaring ballad, something that Ben Platt absolutely slaughters (positively speaking). This is one of those moving, adult contemporary ballads that begins with incredible poise, eventually reaching a fever pitch. That fever pitch occurs as Platt flaunts his masterful pipes, delivering incredible nuances, runs, and showing incredible command of the performance.  “Ease My Mind” is about love and specifically being in a relationship. It finds an anxious man being eased and comforted by his lover, who knows just what to do to make him feel better.  The chorus is the centerpiece – shouting to the world that love has the power to conquer all.

“Darling, only you can ease my mind

Help me leave these lonely thoughts behind

When they pull me under, and I can feel my sanity start

Darling, only you can ease my mind.”

“Temporary Love” 

Unsurprisingly, love dominates ✓ “Temporary Love”.  If you prejudged the record by its title alone, you might assume Platt is singing about a fling of some sorts.  He is not.  Like previous advance singles from Sing to Me Instead, he’s focused on more true matters, in this case, non-temporary love – the real deal! “Temporary Love” is all about embracing love as opposed to being afraid of it.  His biggest affirmation of the state of such love comes on the simple but memorable chorus.

“This is not a temporary love

This is not a temporary love

Now your heart is in my hands, I won’t give it up

This not a temporary love.”

Once more, Ben Platt blesses the listeners with his radiant tone on “Grow as We Go”. This dude can sing his butt off, period. He’s accompanied by a relatively simple backdrop for the majority of the song – acoustic guitars, panned respectively to the right and the left.  That’s really all he needs, as his voice is the focal point.  In addition to the core production, there are warm, harmonized backing vocals, and occasional moments where the production grows a bit more robust.  Ultimately, the result is a thoughtfully-penned, sincere record.

“Honest Man”

“Honest Man” commences with piano accompaniment, played in a soulful, gospel-tinged style.  After Platt establishes the tone of the record, more instrumentation enters in, and his runs grow more liberal.  Once more, his voice sounds authentic and powerful to the nth degree.  Among the more impressive accomplishments of “Honest Man” is Platt’s incredible falsetto and the catchy, memorably-penned chorus:

“I am an honest man
Why can’t you take my hand?
I’m not what you planned, but I’m a safe place to land
I am an honest man.” 

The authenticity of Platt continues to shine on “Hurt Me Once,” where he sounds quite sensitive and vulnerable regarding love.  Too often, males don’t allow their sensitivity to shine through, so it’s refreshing to hear Platt tap into that throughout the course of Sing to Me Instead. According to him, his lover has “All the choices, I have none… Couldn’t hurt you if I wanted to.”

“New”

Following a number of slower cuts, the quicker pace and more rhythmic nature of “New” arrives in timely fashion.  Sure, Ben Platt’s ‘bread is buttered’ with his balladry, but he’s also effective with a few more BPMs.  Also, worth noting, this ‘singer’s singer’ continues be awe-inspiring when it comes to his technical vocal abilities, as well as the musical ‘intangibles.’  His range – both low and higher registers – shines like a beacon here. “Better” is a bit slower, but still maintains rhythm and adequate pace.  By the chorus, Platt is ‘gone,’ showing off his anointed pipes.  His fire is fueled by choral vocals, who are as energetic, intense, and invested as he is.  

On the energetic, soulful, up-tempo standout ✓ “Share Your Address,” Ben Platt sees the relationship getting serious.  “And if I’m coming on too strong,” he sings on the pre-chorus, continuing, “It’s ‘cause I’ve waited far too long / For someone just like you.” Platt even gets more specific about what he wants to do within this relationship, where “it feels like love.” 

“In Case You Don’t Live Forever” 

“In case you don’t live forever, let me tell you now / I love you more than you’ll ever wrap your head around.” Platt continues to be totally ‘in his feelings’ on the ultra-sincere ballad, ✓ “In Case You Don’t Live Forever.” The feelings actually go beyond a boyfriend, as Platt pays ode to two important men in his life, his father, as well as his late uncle, who like Ben, also happened to be gay. A stunning record, Platt asserts on the bridge, “I have a hero whenever I need one / I just look up to you and I see one / I’m a man ‘cause you taught me to be one.”

Penultimate number “Older” continues the excellence of Sing to Me Instead.  The vocals remain Platt’s calling card, but the narrative and lyrics definitely rival the instrument itself.  Furthermore, “Older” has enough punch to maintain the momentum of the one-two punch of “Share Your Address” and the touching “In Case You Don’t Live Forever.” “Run Away” concludes this well-rounded debut as beautifully and thoughtfully as it commenced.  The strings only add to the sentimental nature of the record where Platt asserts “I won’t run away.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, Ben Platt delivers a marvelous debut album with Sing to Me Instead.  My personal fear for this project was that it might end up being too ‘middle of the road’ or ‘boring.’  While there are times where that happens to some extent, for the most part, Platt nails it.  His voice is the crowning achievement, but the authenticity and songwriting are also big-time pros for Platt throughout.  There are no outright misses.  What more can you say but impressive.

✓ Gems: “Bad Habit,” “Ease My Mind,” “Temporary Love,” “Share Your Address” & “In Case You Don’t Live Forever”  

Ben Platt • Sing to Me Instead • Atlantic • Release: 3.29.19

Photo Credit: Atlantic