• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Paul Benoit Music

Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist

  • WELCOME
  • ABOUT
  • NEWS / EVENTS
  • MUSIC
    • THE KING’S DREAM
    • LOST DAYS LONG NIGHTS
    • KING OF DELUSION
    • MY OLD CLOTHES
    • HAVE YOU SEEN ME
    • RAGPICKERS
    • ZIBBI DIBBI DOO
    • BLUEBIRD
    • ALL THE MILES
    • LAZY EYE
    • COMBUSTIBLE
    • DOPAMINE
    • COLLABORATIONS
      • WHERE YOU HEADED – CHANDLER/BENOIT
  • REVIEWS
  • GALLERY
  • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT

RAGPICKERS

Ragpickers Album by Paul Benoit

Zebadiah Records, released 2012

Pure contemporary Americana and flawless guitar licks.

TRACKS

  1. Bloom
  2. Don’t Hate Me
  3. Ragpickers
  4. What’s On Your Mind
  5. Black Bag Blues
  6. But Not You
  7. Kickin In
  8. Rich Girl
  9. Can’t Stop Me
  10. Crosswalk Companion

“Though this is not the sort of album to which I am automatically drawn, Ragpickers is so accomplished and listenable that resistance is pointless. A Seattle-based singer-songwriter, Paul Benoit is — broadly speaking — out of the James Taylor school. That’s not to say he sounds particularly like Taylor, only that Taylor pretty much invented a particular kind of post-folk, acoustic-guitar pop music that, besides vague folkishness, incorporates elements of blues, r&b and rock. At least one cut, ‘Kickin’ In,’ owes more to Paul McCartney than to Taylor. I’m neither for nor against McCartney — actually, he and his music rarely enter my thoughts — but I imagine this is a pretty good example of the faux-McCartney style. Well, let’s drop the snark: it’s a good pop song, period. Ragpickers is expertly produced — by Benoit himself — calling on the services of a small band of fine rock-pop players who carry Benoit’s polished vocal and intelligent lyrics. Owing to my own particular aesthetic bent, I am drawn to the relatively more down-home songs such as the not quite earnest spiritual anthem ‘Can’t Stop Me’ and the blues-tinged title piece, which works metaphors on multiple levels of meaning. Nice melodies, too. Benoit definitely has a talent for those. Though James Taylor has always been able to deliver the goods himself, he has left us with a dubious legacy of mediocre singer-songwriters and injected into the culture the unfortunate notion that just about anybody can write a song. Benoit, on the other hand, is a credit to his tribe. Ragpickers shows there’s life in the genre yet.”
Rambles.net — Jerome Clark

“Paul is able to play glorious guitar licks and transmit a pure front porch feeling…knows how to surprise with his music again and again.”
Hooked on Music —Michael Masuch

“Paul Benoit remains a songwriter worth tracking down.  Ragpickers continues his journey into pure contemporary Americana…”
Leicester Bangs —Rob F.

Back to Music

Primary Sidebar

Contact Paul Benoit Paul Benoit on Facebook  

See Paul Perform

  • Summer Shows 2024
  • Chris Chandler and Paul Benoit with special guest Jarrod Kaplan on percussion
  • Honey Mumblers – Strange Brewfest Port Townshend Feb 2/3rd 2024
  • Paul Benoit with Dan Bern October 23
  • THE KINGS DREAM – Latest Album Release from Paul Benoit – August 2023
  • Summer Shows 2023

Paul Benoit Press Kit

Paul Benoit Media Kit

© 2012 – 2020 · Paul Benoit Music · All Rights Reserved Worldwide · Press Kit