Benson Boones American Heart: Ranking the 10 Tracks from His Sophomore LP

Benson Boone's meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable over the past 18 months. From a talented young singer-songwriter to a pop star status, Boone has captured the hearts of fans with his runaway smash "Beautiful Things," which is still in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 72nd week on the chart. The singer has already reached the chart's top 40 three more times and scaled his live show up to arenas and near-headlining festival slots. This Friday (June 19), Boone attempts to keep the momentum going with his sophomore LP, American Heart. The 10-track, half-hour new set is an energetic set of pop-rock blasts that sees him doubling down on his recent explorations into Springsteen-via-Killers heartland synth-rock. The album's opening track, "Mr. Electric Blue," kicks things off with a synth crescendo, driving beat, and rousing vocal, setting the tone for the rest of the album. However, not all of the songs on American Heart are equally impressive. "Momma Song" is clearly an important song to Boone, but it's a bit of a momentum killer midway through the album. The thick strings, piano, and drums on an already-heavy chorus can make the whole thing feel a little much for repeat listens. Similarly, "Take Me Home" is a fairly effective lost-love song, but the engaging verses are let down a little by a relative bland chorus and a title that was a lot more fun in the hands of Phil Collins and One Direction. On the other hand, "Wanted Man" reaches a strutting pop-rock groove reminiscent of Adam Lambert, with a shuffling beat, zooming guitar, and panted backing vocals. The neo-glam nonsense of the verses is a much better match for Boone's skills, but the chorus sentiment could use a little extra seasoning. "Young American Heart" is another standout track, with a piano-led heartbeat that keeps the blood pumping throughout the song and Boone singing it like he means it. The verses hit on a real young-adult panic that transcends the song's framework of obvious singifiers. "I Wanna Be the One You Call" is the most successfully sensual of Benson Boone's handful of musical come-ons on American Heart. It persuades with early-'10s indie guitar, racing drums, a well-timed key change, and panting backing vocals. "Reminds Me of You" trades in the album's usual Killers-inspired synths for more of a Mac DeMarco glow, with some of the album's best lyrics as Boone revisits a well-trodden lyrical concept with vivid detail. The lead single that made it clear that Boone's pop ambitions had multiplied for album two, "Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else," has nearly enough going on in its explosive production and twisting structure to evoke the late great Brian Wilson. It falls a bit short of Wilson's peak perfectionism by ending a chorus too early and letting a little too much momentum seep out with its early stop-start dynamics. Finally, "Man in Me" features underwater synths that add an interesting texture to the track, though it doesn't quite reach the same level of excitement as some of the other songs on the album. Overall, American Heart is an energetic and well-produced album that showcases Boone's growth as an artist and his continued rise to pop star status.