From his first album Disorientation Man in 2013, the Toronto-based artist Steve Benjamins has been steadily releasing songs that vary from reductionist electronica to indie-rock musings. Here's a songwriter who digs deep both stylistically and emotionally, with new single 'Surrender' being no exception. This time it's synth-pop that has the overriding presence and it's a genre choice perfectly suited to the dramatic romance that Benjamins illustrates for us. The overtly synthetic keys create a cinematic scale sense of anticipation ahead of the statement drums hits, heartbeat electronics and Benjamin's dauntless pop vocals that self-assuredly proclaim his total submission. It's a track designed to create a pressure-release response in the listener, one that will almost certainly allow you to be swept up in the grandiose motion of 'Surrender'. - HT