Ben E. Davis’ “Lonely Without You”

There’s nothing worse than a hesitant vocal stepping between a breathtaking verse and an audience primed to relate to it, but in Ben E. Davis’ new single “Lonely Without You,” you won’t find anything of the kind. On the contrary, Davis puts so much passion into his singing here that there’s scarcely a moment in which his pipes aren’t the most dominant force the be reckoned with in the mix – even when they’re embodying the essence of fragility. This is a song that takes a lot of personality to perform, and lucky for us, its creator is just the man for the job. 

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Everything about this single is big – the instruments, the verses, the gusto with which Davis goes after the hook – but I wouldn’t say that there’s anything specifically indulgent. Truth be told, there’s an ear for the efficient side of pop songwriting when we examine the construction of the chorus in this piece, and I would say that were this player not approaching “Lonely Without You” with an attention to detail that only comes with the delivery of something truly personal and intimate in nature, it might not have the punch it does in this instance. 

The beat caresses the vocal exceptionally well in this track, which is a change of pace considering that Davis’ contemporaries have essentially being formulizing the exact opposite concept in a lot of their music lately. There’s an adventurousness to “Lonely Without You” that is almost entirely implied, and yet it’s one of the most integral elements of the song that leaves me wanting more from this singer/songwriter in the future, no matter how many times I’ve gone through the lyrics and thought about their relationship with the rhythm. This is just the tip of the iceberg – I think this artist has a lot more depth in need of exploring. 

This production style is club-oriented and geared towards making us think about potential remixes, which is rather ironic given the sheer emotionality of the lyrical subtext and the way Davis is crooning to us in the chorus. He can be delicate whilst winking at the notion of decadence in “Lonely Without You,” bringing to mind a new lover’s striking glance when you lock eyes with them across the dancefloor in a crowded nightclub for the first time. Suddenly the chase is on, and we’re right in the middle of the action. 

“Lonely Without You” is a chills-maker for sure, but if it’s just a taste of what Ben E. Davis is going to be getting started in this next chapter of his career, you’re going to see his name popping up in a positive light a lot more often. This is a solid, well-rounded track no matter how you look at it, and when paired up with the fun music video made in support of its release I think there’s really no room for debating whether or not Davis commands a lot of respect in this performance. He’s got a very desirable sound here, and I’m curious to hear what it will produce next. 

Mindy McCall