Customer Reviews

Morning Stanzas

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i know i made this band sound like a soft drink in the title but i really can't stress enough how much i like this! having worn out all my radiohead and jeff buckley records, it was nice to find a band like this (on myspace of all places!) when the band randomly added me, i was all like "oh boy, here we go" but i got hooked on the two songs on the site ("glass souls" in particular) and i pretty much had to get the record! glad i did too! it was a pain to find but it was worth it! lots of really cool arrangements and some of the best drumming i've heard in a while. the whole thing has an ambient kid a texture meets jazzy/drum n bass type rhythms. i recommend it to people into well-constructed pop that isn't completely formula.

I got the song Glass Souls off of the abercrombie and fitch website and i thought it was amazing, so of course i had to buy the cd. I absolutely loved the rest of the songs, except all the king's men. Some of the best are Elia, Ideal Magnets, and The Blue Around You. The lyrics are beautifully different and the music is impossible to stop listening to. I recommend this CD to everyone who is tired of listening to all the millions of "alt/indie" bands that sound exactly the same.

I first saw Benzos when they opened for Blonde Redhead (judging from the rest of the reviews of this album, that seems to be a common tale). I was really taken with them and immidiately went looking for recordings. Unfortunately I had to wait until last week for this one to come out! However, it totally meets the standard set by their excellent live show.

"Morning Stanzas" is a pretty, complex indie album. The arrangements of guitar, bass, drums, vocals and programmed elements all blend together for something that sounds mellow at first listen, but has a kind of subtle intensity the more you listen to it. The vocals are soft and breathy a lot of the time, a style which I really enjoy. The guitars are really melodic and the guitar playing is unique, especially compared to most of the bands playing music like this. The rhythm section is very tight and their parts get almost mathy at points.

Overall I love this album. A must for fans of Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, The Postal Service, My Bloody Valentine, etc.

Like the writer of the first review for this album, I was also introduced to Benzos through their opening performance for Blonde Redhead. I have never liked an opening band before I saw Benzos, so I was impressed enough to go do some research on them and find out how to get their album. Much to my dismay, I had to wait 6 months to get it.

I had the opportunity to hear this album through the college radio station I dj at (and I got my copy personally from the band) and I had to say that it was worth the wait. I love every song, except for the mellow "It's Amiable" but everyone else I know loves that song...so there must be something wrong with me there.

For a debut album, Morning Stanzas is well thought out and has multi-layered songs that most bands don't really start writing until later in their careers. The production quality is also quite good. If I had to compare the Benzos to other bands I'd say they were the Doves and Radiohead (OK Computer era) combined. Perhaps that is the one bad thing about the Benzos, though. For some moments they sound too much like an array of other bands, but that is to be expected for a first attempt. Overall, though, in today's music scene filled with dance pop throw backs to the 80s and little boys screaming about heartache, Morning Stanzas is a much needed relief.

I'm already looking foward to see what the band comes out with next. And if you ever get a chance see Benzos live. They will blow you away.

Standout tracks: All the King's Men, You're Forever an Hourglass, and Mechanical Comrades.

I saw this band, Benzos, open up for Blonde Redhead in New York. They were very impressive. Musically they were advanced compared to the sort of bands that had come out of New York recently. Like bands such as Secret Machines and Inouk, there is a new movement in music that is more progressive. Not so much "prog rock" as bringing musicianship back into music. Benzos are making complex and unique statements with All The King's Men" and "You're Forever An Hourglass." Their music is dreamy and thoughtful. "It's Amiable" almost sounds like Radiohead. The production on this record is very good. The producer has captured the live sound of the band. Every song is a winner. This music needs to be listened to. It is more subtle than many fashionable bands. We will be looking back at this record at year's end and remembering the great experience. This music has some substance.

Instrumentally, this album is mindblowing. The melodies, percussion and overall band performance is nearly flawless. The drummer, bassist, and guitarist inparticular are brilliant, they are unbelievably tight and construct amazing edgy atmospheres and expertly craft tense buildup within the songs.

On the other hand, the only reason I'm giving this album a 4 and not a 5 is because the singer writes lame, teenage-grade lyrics. I truely feel ashamed to suggest this band to anyone else because the initial reaction that people have had is that this band "has a terrible singer". I ask why. And they state that the lyrics are terrible. I nod my head in agreement.


Download a few songs, and if you don't care about the lyrics, then, by all means, go and buy it.