Clark Beckham | Light Year – Album Review
Clark Beckham was born in Nashville, but grew up in White House, Tennessee. He also graduated from Lee University in with a degree in history. In an interview Beckham said that he originally wanted to audition for American Idol at 18 years old, when it came to Nashville, but said that it was not in line with God’s will at the time. He eventually finished as runner up on the 14th season of American Idol. We have previously reviewed his songs, “Luckiest Man,”“Run Away.“ “Who Believes in Me,” and “Bedrock.”
Clark has just released his full album, Light Year. In honor of this release, we are going to do a track by track review. First up is, “Intro (Father),” which is a pretty cool introduction to the new album. Very bluesy, gospel influenced introduction.
Next up is “Forever.” This track puts Clark’s voice is the spotlight with some pretty interesting instrumentals. Has a very elemental sound to it, with some R&B influences as well. Vocally, it is a pretty stunning display of his abilities.
“I Hurt Too Much,” is up in the 3rd spot. Right off the bat, you can tell that this one is a very bluesy song. Again, Clark’s voice is put in the forefront which pays off completely. He has a way of making the audience feel all of the emotion of his songs, which is rare these days.
Next up on the new album, is “Big Boy Bruce.” This one is purely instrumental but is a good lead in to the next track, “Luckiest Man.” It is a powerful ballad that is very reminiscent of Michael Buble’s discography. “Luckiest Man,” is a bluesy powerhouse of a song. Clark proved on Idol that he can sing anything, and make it sound amazing. His voice is made for these bluesy ballads. He shows off is range here without sacrificing any of the vocals and captures the emotion of the song perfectly.
“I Won’t Give Away Your Love,” is up in the next slot. This one is more upbeat and has a more Funk vibe to it. Such a cool song, especially since Clark’s voice is featured here. His falsetto is pretty impressive. Instrumentally, it is much different than the other songs. It is a pretty interesting way to shake things up with this new album.
“Who Believes in Me,” starts off with some pretty intense vocals. Right off the bat, he is showcasing his range. Once the song gets going, you notice just how upbeat this song is. The beat of “Who Believes in Me,” is unique. He incorporates a lot of different effects in this track, which actually pair well with his vocals. If anything, these effects actually push his vocals to be even stronger, which is impressive.
“Know Me,” is up next on Clark’s new album, Light Year. This one is more of a slow jam with Clark’s voice, once again, in the foreground. Some interesting effects in this song but it doesn’t drown out the song or compromise the vocals. Lyrically, its a pretty deep song. “Silence is slowly killing me,” is probably one of the more powerful lyrics on this album. A lot of people are going to relate to this song.
“Gloria,” is up in the 2nd to last spot on this new album. Pairing the organ and Clark’s voice was a smart choice to start off the song. This really pulls the listener in. Once the beat kicks in, you are already hooked to the story of the song. Vocally, it is pretty impressive. He is in full voice towards the middle/ending of this song which is captivating. This upbeat song is a great way to lead into the last song, “Bedrock.”
“Bedrock,” is a powerful song about coming together and basically loving one another. During these trying times, it is a message that deserves to be heard. Clark shows off his powerful vocals in “Bedrock.” His voice is perfectly complimented by the acoustic instrumentals and the ambient background.
With this album, Clark Beckham shows just how versatile he is. This new album has everything from R&B/Funk/Gospel/Jazz/Soul influences. Vocally, he shines throughout the entire album. There is nothing that this guy can’t sing. Light Year is available on all major streaming platforms. Check out the full album below!