Brooklyn-based queer singer-songwriter Ben Silby’s debut album ’can’t hang’ is a genre-blurring, emotionally raw exploration of identity, love, and self-worth…
- I'm Not From London
- Aug 14
- 1 min read
Across a decade’s worth of personal growth, Silby’s sound navigates the lush terrains of indie pop, bedroom pop, and alternative, combining sparkling melodies with candid, vulnerable storytelling.
Produced by Miles Francis at Synthia Studios, the album was shaped through intimate and experimental sessions, featuring analogue beats and theremin flourishes that add unique textures. Silby’s vocal range is pushed to new heights here, mixing theatrical introspection with moments of effortless catchiness. This album melds the emotional honesty of Fiona Apple with the experimental edge of Perfume Genius and James Blake.
‘Can’t hang’ functions as a coming-of-age diary, capturing moments of regret, longing, and self-discovery. Tracks like ‘dirt i’ reject binaries and societal boxes with defiant energy, while ‘my bad’ reflects on lust and mistakes with bittersweet candour. ‘Misfit’ narrates a toxic love affair with New York City, contrasting dreams of escape with gritty reality. The title track is a hazy meditation on overstimulation and the exhaustion of performing identity, wrapped in a restless, ethereal soundscape.
Sharp yet accessible, the album balances heavy themes with offbeat humour and earworm hooks. The analogue percussion and theremin lend an otherworldly feel to certain tracks, enhancing the emotional depth. For listeners craving indie pop that is unfiltered, real, and inventive, Ben Silby emerges as a uniquely compelling new voice — a “sad clown philosopher” who transforms pain into art.
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