Ben Hughes | photo via benhughes.bandcamp.com
Ben Hughes ponders mortality in his latest monthly album
This month, Ben Hughes has released At The End of My Life, an album tackling the existential worries of death and what happens after. The LP is Hughes’ latest installment in a year-long series during which he plans to showcase recordings from 2005 to today. We have been following his series here at The Key and have been enjoying the variety of themes woven throughout Hughes’ work.
At The End of My Life in particular offers a melancholy contemplativeness reminiscent of Elliott Smith’s Figure 8, especially in songs like “Wake Up (Check Yourself)”. Hughes says of the song:
It gave me courage to face all the anxieties and indecisiveness that life can dump on us… [This song and others on the record] made me realize that even in the face of our impending death, and the struggles along the way, everything levels out.
The 10-song LP is available via Bandcamp, but you can listen below. If you like what you hear, be sure to stay tuned for the upcoming installments, which will feature recordings from 2006-2009 and more recent material as well.
Hughes performs with his band Night Windows at Boot and Saddle on July 18th – more info here.