The Benjamins- The Art of Disappointment - Drive Thru

The Benjamins know how to milk a chorus and a hook line for everything it is worth. There is not a song on The Art of Disappointment you won’t find yourself singing a long to, whistling at work, or fiending like a crack addict to hear again and again. The Art of Disappointment is easily the best pop CD I have heard this year. In a day and age when it seems everyone writing songs is full of piss and vinegar it is nice to hear the Benjamins who are God forbid writing some good old fashioned fun power chord ridden pop songs.

Distorted guitars, male vocals, and a knack for writing some really high end melodies The Benjamins have got the skills to pay the bills. These songs are full, robust, and filled with heavy production layers. Everything from the occasional sample, to the now obligatory moog for good measure. Geek Pop, Nerd Rock ,whatever that catch phrase was, The Benjamins are all of the above.

You could endlessly try to pinpoint another band who the Benjamin’s remind you of. Some examples: Copper Blue era Sugar, most obviously Weezer and The Rentals, The Replacements even came to mind. My boyfriend tossed out names like Jawbreaker, J Church, and Superdrag based on the meatiness of the guitars. While these are all valid reference points for the Benjamins, the band still manages a fresh face newness and eventually they too will be added to a list of reference points for pop bands after them.

It is difficult to pin point a favorite song by these Milwaukee hit makes. Each one is so catchy. I like the “whoa, whoa, whoas” in “Sophia on the Stereo”. This is the song that with the right radio promotion will put the band on the map and into the hearts of millions of twenty-somethings everywhere . I think my personal favorite is “Riverwest Creeps” 7 songs into the disk. Lyrics about being “quite the rock star” make me giggle. the best part of The Art of Disappointment is that you could sing along to every song on the CD, and you will. I was already mumbling through the words on the second listen, and now I am belting them out like I am their back up singer.

Racking my brain for some constructive criticism for the band, I really come up empty handed. No one is perfect as the saying goes and I am sure The Benjamins are not without their flaws, but through my giddy excitement for The Art of Disappointment I just can’t seem to find them.

Read where the Benjamins got their name from here.

Read where Drive Thru Records got their name from here.