New Ben Platt album ‘Reverie’ is something out of a dream

Actor and singer Ben Platt has come out with a brand new album, one with songs that will entrance all listeners.

BELLA CROTEAU, SNN Staff Writer
August 30, 2021

After being on Broadway, in movies and TV shows and producing his own independent album, Ben Platt is back, and his 13 new songs are nothing short of masterpieces. This new album, which includes short tracks that are experimental and different and long tracks that remind old fans of his music years ago, is 40 minutes that listeners won’t regret.

Multimedia artist Ben Platt has been doing music since 2002 when he was only 9. He started with small productions, but as his career continued to grow, he got opportunities like working on the Pitch Perfect movies and the musical Book of Mormon. This all led to his biggest role, Evan Hansen in the Dear Evan Hansen Broadway musical in 2015. In his nearly four years with this show, he won a Daytime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. In 2019, Platt released his first independent album, Sing to Me Instead, and its success took his career even further.

Platt’s new album, Reverie, was released Aug.13 under Atlantic Records on every platform. Yet, that doesn’t tell you anything of the actual songs, now does it? What are the songs like? Why should you give the album a listen?

First thing’s first, let’s cover the tracks.

To start off this new album is King of the World, Pt. 1, which is an entire story on its own. The most experimental of his work by far, Platt incorporates lots of auto-tuned/overproduced vocals to give this one-minute song a sense of surround sound. At first, many old fans and new ones alike may not find the appeal in this song and the style changes, but with the meaningful lyrics, even the most bitter listeners come to enjoy it on the second or third play.

Directly following is Childhood Bedroom, a pop song that you can play over and over and not get tired of. While it still incorporates a bit too much autotune for some of his acoustic-loving listeners, these three minutes of music are very catchy and easy to connect to.

Next, we have Happy to Be Sad. This longer track is very simple musically, with fewer effects, background saxophone and heavier vocals. It’s easy to head-bob along to Platt’s voice with the comfortably repetitive words.

After this, comes a more bittersweet piece, I Wanna Love You But I Don’t, a song reminiscent of some of his older music. It isn’t the most memorable, as it is much slower and repetitive, but it’s a well-told story that is full of emotion.

Fifth on the album is a three-minute song that would make even the most stoic people start to hum. Platt’s Leave my Mind is a funky song with catchy bouncing lyrics and even bouncier instrumentals. This song is one I have listened to maybe 10 times – it’s just that good.

Next up is Dance with You, a song that is both simple and complex at the same time. Incorporating different genres, mixing the vocals and backtracking in a way unlike his other works, this very ‘70s song is one of my favorites. This is one that wants to make you dance: no pun intended!

Returning back to the start, we have King of the World, Pt. 2, a song almost identical to its precursor. It differs in lyric and is a few seconds longer, but there aren’t many words to this song. It is my least favorite, interrupting the flow of the album and having too much autotune. However, the appeal is undoubtedly there.

Song number eight, Carefully, is a definite change of tone. The longest of the album, at almost five minutes, it is a much softer acoustic slow song, a story, not quite sad but not as upbeat as the other tracks either, with heavy vocals and meaningful lyrics that flow as the story gets spun.

Another change of pace is Chasing You, a ‘70s-sounding pop track that without a doubt should be on the radio. Not only will its energy and lyrics make you want to smile, it’ll also get stuck in your head for hours on end.

Nearing the end of the album, we have Come Back, a surprisingly gospel type song on a pop-centered playlist. With three minutes of beautiful words and a much slower tempo, it has a great appeal to many of his listeners.

Dark Times comes next, another personal slow song that Platt has crafted carefully and dearly. This is a wonderful addition to the album, giving listeners a feel of comfort with simple piano and his inspiring lyrics of his hardships.

Song 12 is a slower pop-lo-fi type of song named Imagine. It quite honestly is a bit reminiscent of the “King of the World” trilogy, with the slight surround-sound autotune and floating feeling of the lyrics themselves.

And last, but not least, King of the World, Pt. 3, a song about nothing more than life itself. It is a singular minute of a song that finishes an album like it started – an experimental hurricane of music slowing to a soft breeze. The song is still rather autotuned, but frankly, it grows on you by part 3.

Then it’s over, a 40-minute album full of energetic pop and soft songs of hardship. Reverie is another wonderful album from Platt, from the new ideas to old stories told anew – it’s one for the books and ready to be read.

However, before my review is over, I leave you readers with my ranking of the songs: