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CMU Approved
Approved: Special Benny
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 3 August 2010
London-based sextet Special Benny released their debut EP, ‘Rumblestrip’, in 2006 and looked to have a promising career before life got in the way and called the whole project to a halt. But two years later, they got together again and decided to make another go of it. With Rob Smoughton (aka solo artist Grosvenor and Hot Chip’s live drummer) replacing original drummer Steve Galloway, work on their debut album, ‘Toys’, got under way.
The band’s sound spans a wide range of styles, with touches of indie-rock, jazz, prog, punk and more. They themselves list Tortoise, Jim O’Rourke, Sufjan Stevens, Battles, Frank Zappa and Steve Reich as shared influences. As a result, the album is an interesting, multi-layered pop record, with plenty held within to keep you coming back. ‘Toys’ is not due for release until 6 Sep but can been streamed in full on the band’s Bandcamp page right now.
