The old maxim that the more you put into something the more you get back rings especially true for Jake Isaac and his brand new album BENJAMIN. The album sees him daring to confront the big issues in his life that really matter – family, faith, heritage, hope, love and a whole lot more – all channelled with a searing voice of soul sophistication and powered by a gospel heart. Its singles GOOD MAN, BLACK OR WHITE and EVER YOURS have all been playlisted at Radio 2, making today’s release of BENJAMIN a landmark moment in his career.
Jake Isaac
Jake Isaac’s goals for the new LP were simple: he wanted to reveal much more about himself via his music, just like his towering influences Billie Holiday, Etta James and Otis Redding achieved in such gracious style. And once those themes flowed out of him, he aimed to amplify their emotions by capturing them with music that’s warm, resonant and engaging: something which reflects his past as a musical director for live performances from artists such as Duffy.
Isaac says: “I feel like deep down I’ve waited a long time to make this album. An album that truly reflects my musical upbringing and other dynamics in my life that go beyond just the topic of romance.”
The album’s new focus track 23 is representative of the deep soul-searching that the South London-raised, Manchester-based singer delves into throughout the set. Despite its hymnal warmth, there’s a quiet intensity to the song as Isaac interprets what Psalm 23 means to him in the present day. And while it’s a question of faith, it’s a broader issue than just that – one that’s innately connected to everything significant within his life.
He explains, “My father is a minister, I was born into this way of life, so what does it mean for me today? Do I believe in it, what is my identity in the midst of it? Now I realise it is a privilege to have a mum and dad who had core values, rooted in community, who celebrated the arts, because not everybody has that. I’m grateful to the spirituality our parents showed my siblings and me when we were growing up.”
The album’s other new material shapes BENJAMIN into a fully realised artistic statement. The opening instrumental SELAH offers a moment to pause and reflect beyond the album reveals itself, sounding like one of David Gilmour’s more reflective guitar moments, but filtered through the prism of the church experience. A similar space for reflection follows later on with the serene SUNDAY MORNING while the sparse MISS WILHELMINA samples the singer’s grandmother, part of the Windrush generation, who shares her perspective on the power of music. There are bigger moments too, with ALL I NEED a fun, positive R&B celebration of the wonderful constants in his life, before signing off with WHY, a moving, acoustic composition with shades of Marvin Gaye in which Isaac poses the questions that are normally hidden away deep within the recesses of our minds.
Jake Isaac recently completed a special live moment when he performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra as part of the Radio 2 Piano Room at Manchester Opera House. He documented the occasion with a short film which can be seen below:
Isaac will celebrate the release of BENJAMIN by headlining a London show at Village Underground on November 2nd – tickets are available HERE.
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