Walk Me Home...

// Walk Me Home: a polished stroll down generic pop streets //

Benson Boone first appeared on the public radar with his earnest charisma on American Idol, but it wasn’t until he released his debut EP, "Walk Me Home…" in 2022 that listeners got their first real taste of his studio sound. Long before "Beautiful Things" became his breakthrough smash in 2024, this five‑track collection was Benson’s opening gambit — five singles, three of which ("Ghost Town", "In the Stars" and "Nights Like These") achieved moderate radio play, yet paled beside the tidal wave of acclaim that would come later. Today, Boone faces criticism for an inconsistent artistic identity, and if that lack of distinct vision is already glaring in his later work, it’s painfully obvious here: "Walk Me Home…" feels like a series of overly safe attempts at chart success, the kind of adult‑contemporary radio fare engineered to check all the marketable boxes without ever daring to peer outside them.

Right from the start, “Ghost Town” establishes the EP’s guiding principle of zero risk. A melancholic power‑ballad about knowing you’re the toxic presence in your partner’s life and urging her to leave, it’s perfectly serviceable — yet as unmemorable as a pristine white room devoid of character. Its lyrics are as cliché as they come, its chord progressions interchangeable with the dozen or so identical hits that clog US radio every year, and its emotional impact hovers somewhere between polite nod and mild disinterest. Boone’s voice remains the one bright spark — polished, powerful, capable of theatrical vulnerability — but even his impressive belting and controlled rasp can’t breathe soul into a song this formulaic.

Fortunately, “Let Me Go” follows up with a glimpse of what "Walk Me Home…" could have been. From the opening lines — “You’re the lump in my throat / You’re the reason I choke on the words that I wish I had said” — Boone and his co‑writers weave vivid imagery: regret and longing, memories of a relationship’s faded intensity and the what‑ifs that haunt its aftermath. Here the piano‑driven arrangement gives the vocals room to soar, and the emotional stakes feel real. If every song displayed this level of lyrical care (which isn't even abnormally high by the way) — a point of view that transcends filler‑grade songwriting — the EP as a whole might have shone.

Alas, that promise dissolves when “In the Stars” arrives, arguably the nadir of the set. It sounds like someone grafted Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful” chorus melody onto Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” structure — complete with an anthemic bridge and choral backing — only to strip away the intimacy and personality that made those songs resonate. It’s the textbook example of label‑driven pop manufacturing: a streaming hit, yes, but a hollow one, best suited as wallpaper to late‑night teen dramas rather than a genuine expression of Boone’s artistry.

The mood lifts again on "Better Alone", where subtle hi‑hats and muted kick drums underpin a dreamy synth wash that explodes under Boone’s distorted belting in the final chorus. The production is sleek without feeling sterile, and the acoustic guitar coda gently closes the track on a wistful note. For a few minutes, you believe in Boone’s ability to balance technical finesse with emotional honesty.

Then “Nights Like These” pulls the rug out once more, reverting to a paint‑by‑numbers adult‑contemporary template that feels interchangeable with anything from Harry Styles to Ed Sheeran. Its predictability — both musically and lyrically — reinforces the EP’s overarching sense of a white‑walled aesthetic: neat, unblemished, but utterly devoid of a focal point. And by the time “Empty Heart Shaped Box” arrives, you’re hopeful that an intriguing title might signal a creative detour — maybe a nod to Nirvana’s emotional depth — but instead get another glossy ballad that could have been spat out by any pop‑factory algorithm.

"Room for 2" starts with a synth‑pop flirtation that promises a modern twist — imagine Dua Lipa’s sauce or The Weeknd’s nocturnal sheen — but fizzles into more of the same adult‑contemporary stew. Its lyrics, with lines like "When you’re barely holding on / I’ll be anything you want / Open up my heart for you / Baby, I got room for two", read as the kind of heartfelt earnestness you’d expect from a 9‑year‑old’s first crush diary: charmingly naive but far from memorable. And closing track "Work of Art", despite its climactic vocal flights, can’t conjure the cathartic payoff you crave; it merely confirms the EP’s running theme of style over substance.

In the end, "Walk Me Home…" is an exhausting listen — not because anything here is objectively bad, but because almost nothing is interesting. Boone’s vocal talent is undeniable — his belting, his dynamic control, his theatrical instinct all mark him as a consummate performer. But technical polish alone doesn’t forge an artist’s identity, and this EP reads like a collection of audition pieces for radio slots rather than a cohesive statement of personal vision. It’s a shame, because you sense the potential for something more daring beneath Boone’s voice; but on "Walk Me Home…", that spark remains just out of reach.

FAVEs: Let Me Go, Better Alone
MEHs: the rest
Overall: 4/10 (he's lucky his pipes are so amazing)