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Written by James Nokes Thursday, 06 September 2007 14:15

Benzos' sophomore album, Branches, attempts to seamlessly blend the ambience and rhythm of early underground dance and experimental electronic music with lush, rock-based guitars and soaring vocals.

Born from the rave and house music influences of Christian Celaya and Brian Joyce and the hip-hop and drum 'n' bass of Eiko Peck and Steve Bryant, Benzos' sophomore album Branches attempts to seamlessly blend the ambience and rhythm of early underground dance and experimental electronic music with lush, rock-based guitars and soaring vocals. Joined by producers Anthony Ranere (Lake Trout) and Steve Wright, the band has expanded its fluidity to cope with early changes in personnel and instrumentation. Not only has this given their work a unique spontaneity, but also it has earned Benzos a reputation for their live remixing efforts.

Dancy would not necessarily be one of the words to categorize this album. Closer to a distorted rock or trip-hop, listeners might find better comparisons with Doves, Greg Dulli, New Vision or Stellastarr*. While the sounds are complex, it would be tricky to pin anything more solid to that. Certainly, the band draws from an eclectic background and it shows in songs like the harmonious "Teach Me," the drum 'n' bass-kissed "Hurt Everybody," and the subdued "Crooked Hands."

That the band can conjure these sounds despite setbacks is a strong indication of its resolve, and even if the lyrics are practically unreadable due to the beautiful indie muraling, listeners will still find they can follow the melancholic motion of the album. "Sell This Thing" is a particularly strong testament to the band's cohesion, Celaya's emotive voice blending with Bryant's slight keyboarding, and Joyce and Peck's harmonies. The problem with criticizing the album is that the band has made somewhat of a name for itself based upon its live performances.

Well, performances aside, the album is still entertaining; despite missing a dimension that could only come from the spontaneity of a live show, Benzos are engaging, especially so in the energetic "Phase 2." They'll hook listeners, there's no doubt about that, and with the promise of unique live listening experiences at every show, Benzos has even more to offer.

Amid the relationship struggles that are the premises for many of these songs, listeners will pluck out numerous metaphors touting themes of remorse, redemption, and love. Layered would certainly be a fair choice to sum up the album, and words like enjoyable might follow. Definitely worth exploring in studio form, and even more intriguing for live show seekers. B+ | James Nokes