“Wrecked Vessels” is the second EP from the talented singer/songwriter B – Sydes (Benjamin Sydes). Having emerged from various bands and thus deciding to go alone in 2010 you can’t help but fell that when listening to the EP the support of a backing band might’ve made this a great EP rather than just a good one, his song writing is evident that he is somewhat used to writing with and for a band in the past and this seems to be the one underlying problem with this release, it all just sounds a bit unfinished.
The songs on the EP are catchy though and have enough about them to make the listener go back for a second helping, opener “In Confidence” has a great chorus and is and could find itself quite quickly becoming a fan favourite, it’s the most upbeat from the four and starts the EP off well, “(Still in) Saigon” is again another decent effort, it’s worth noting that the second half of the EP is quite lengthy and at points it does feel as if the sound is just dragging along.
Nobody can deny the passion that Benjamin has thrown into these songs and he does have a pretty distinctive sound to him, the songs on this EP sound like they would be great live with a bit more energy that the live environment provides
“Wrecked Vessels” has a decent selection of songs which will leave an impression on the listener, the future could be bright for Benjamin, but he needs to make that happen himself through learning from this EPs mistakes, and here’s hoping he does.