Benzos : Branches

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/benzosbranches.jpg" alt=" " />On their second album, New York's Benzos packs serious emotional strain into a flexible, post-rock box....
6.9 Stinky
2007 

 Benzos : BranchesOn their second album, New York’s Benzos packs serious emotional strain into a flexible, post-rock box.   Dire guitars and dark rhythms create a bleak urban scene on Branches for singer Christian Celaya’s vocals to sidestep.  It’s a determined, but difficult, adventure through a post-modern escapism that hinges on the battle between love and despair.

This alienated theme has driven a lot of the alternative movement, but this album finds a special place between the street-level hijinks and spaced-out disconnection of the last fifteen years.  Guitars on Branches are a blend of speckled grunge and glossiness, while drum tracks are 4/4-heavy mood intimidators.  Together, they produce a range of intensities from dark, empty rooms to fully-lit, crowded arenas.  They don’t introduce textures or styles as much as combine them.

The lead track, “Sell This Thing”, on Branches starts the album strongly and, on a couple levels, poetically.  It’s song that may help boost sales of the album most with a cool lounge sound exploding into a fevered alt-anthem.  Stark guitars complement splashing drums then introduce a poignant piano while Celaya bellows an affecting vocal track.  “Phase 2” takes a more dance-friendly approach to a similar sound while it parlays a nifty dynamic.  “Hard To Feel” has an even greater and affecting difference between calmness and force.

For such an emotionally-driven album,Benzos keeps Branches nicely in check, and preserves the smoothness of the whole dynamic.  “On Your Own” is mellow and provides a cooling-off point.  Interludes like “Portland” and “Life” are short, but effective, breath-catching opportunities.  And while the first half of the album tends toward the muscular side of their sound, the second half is more mental than emotional.

Benzos’ second album is well-rounded and includes a lot of action, and while it doesn’t dare to break new ground, it finds a comfortable spot in the difference.  Branches is one of the more elegant representatives of the dark side of alt-rock, as it blends an isolated and futuristic feel into a typically emotional scene.

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