Benji Miller – Love Or Pain
Benji Miller’s Love Or Pain EP is a warm and atmospheric EP that moves between indie pop, R&B, psychedelia, and minor electronic influences, all while maintaining a strong nostalgic mood. “Swimming In The Ocean” begins with ethereal tones and a jazzy, dreamy vibe, combining indie-pop elements with elements of Faith No More and 1960s synths. The soft vocals and easygoing production make it a perfect track for relaxing, while “Be My Remedy” provides a more easy-listening, urban groove without leaving the indie vibe. The guitars bring a touch of electricity to the arrangement, and the vocals give it a modern urban feeling. “Love Or Pain” has piano at the forefront, evolving into a groovy R&B-influenced composition with gentle urban elements and an ethereal vibe. The backing vocals, influenced by the 1960s, offer another layer of nostalgia, while the short slowdown around 1:30 provides a welcome break before the song returns to its main groove. “Let Me In” adopts a slower and warmer approach, mixing lush synths with acoustic guitar, particularly around 1:50, when the arrangement becomes more sentimental and almost hypnotic before the electronic elements come back. “Weird World” begins with trippy piano and a dreamlike production before the drums appear at 1:07, transforming the music into an easy-listening indie composition. The combination of piano and warm percussion works especially nicely here. The EP concludes with “Hey Darcey,” its most energetic track, which combines 1960s-inspired synths with R&B rhythms, electric guitars, and sometimes grunge-like aggressiveness before returning to its exotic, nostalgic vibe. Overall, Love Or Pain is a cool EP that combines nostalgia and modern indie production, providing enough variety between tracks while maintaining a harmonious, dreamy identity.
