Ben Hughes explores the American Dream with You’re Not Alone
Last month we heard a collection of songs from Ben Hughes‘ old band A Little Affair. This month, we get a deeper look at the local musician’s recording past with an album called You’re Not Alone.
Clocking in at number nine in Hughes’ year-long release project, You’re Not Alone comes from his college senior project. Its lyrics explore themes of societal expectations and inner struggle while the melodies are reminiscent of Wilco or Fountains of Wayne:
Months before graduating, I questioned the proposed promises of happy lives and fulfilled dreams. I presented my concerns about the American Dream, and how it wasn’t adding up.
From the stripped down faux-writing-session intro to the final resolve of You’re Not Alone, I wrote about topics that spoke to me: hardworking overlooked men and women, pressures of school, graduate stresses, End Times, lies and false promises, helping loved ones, belief in reincarnation, pursuit of happiness, broken homes, workaholics, failed relationships and so on….
Listen to album below. Hughes and his current band Night Windows play The Fire on October 5th; tickets and information can be found here.