Brendan Benson - Lapalco (2002)

He's friends with Ryan Adams, jams with Jack White and enjoys the odd Chinese takeout mid recording session but besides all that who the hell is Brendan Benson? With a name like his you might be forgiven for thinking that a smattering of cool soul numbers was heading your way, but you'd be wrong because this Benson has an altogether contemporary take on what pop music for the 21st century should sound like. Surprisingly, Brendan Benson has been around for a while. His debut album, 'One Mississippi' (like this album it was co-wrote and partly performed by ex-Jellyfish man Jason Faulkner) was released back in 1996. Long regarded as a lost classic 'Lapalco's success should bring about its re-release. 'Lapalco' takes its name from a street in Benson's hometown Harvey, Louisiana and was rightly lauded as one of 2002’s best albums. At its heart is a collection of simple pop songs. Remember that its the simple things in life that are often the most precious and 'Lapalco' is chock full of obvious ideas that appear at your ears like winning numbers on a lotto ticket. As Benson himself elegantly remarks it only takes an oyster and a grain of sand to make a pearl.

'Tiny Spark' has the sort of ignition that would give the Breeders 'Cannonball' a run for its explosive power. Over its short life it manages to squeeze out enough goosebumps to make the listener resemble human sandpaper, its incendiary nature is enough to energise long since abandoned steam trains. The whole thing has a fluid concoction of verse and buzzing guitars, not to mention the industrial organic drools that would have Gary Numan running for the hills. Following on from this heart stopping adventure the initially understated 'Metarie' reveals several neat musical turns. As Benson strums acoustically the fallout of a disintegrating relationship produces a flush of emotions that eventuates in a chorus to die for. As he opines 'There's something I've been meaning to say to you, I'd like to move out of this place, Change my name, Get a new face' his disquiet is lost in the wonderful din that surrounds the words. 'Metarie' has the curious distinction of being both uplifting and sombre inducing but it nonetheless leaves an indelible mark.

'Lapalco' reveals a plethora of happy tunes with unhappy themes. If like me, you go for the tune before the sentiments then 'Lapalco' is likely to be a humour lifting experience. 'Folk Singer' races by at such speed that you become more concerned for the condition of your ragged hair blowing in its wake than the melancholic situation the singer finds himself in. Who cares if he's not John Lennon when he can create blunderbuss as exciting as this. It is only when the momentum slows down that the lyrics take on a greater resonance like on 'Life In The D'. As the nasally delivered vocals hint at a 24-hour sobbing session you can't help but wonder where the aforementioned spark has gone. That said as a comfort cushion 'Life In The D' is the perfect fix for anyone feeling sorry for themselves. 'Good To Me' is much more like it, even if the chaotic happenings mask what is quintessentially a shallow idea. 'What' could have really destroyed the middle section of 'Lapalco'. Luckily the temporary doodling at the start is replaced by Benson's trademark grasp on how to please those looking for a sing-a-long chorus.

With one or two disappointing exceptions each of the albums tracks revolves around a winning idea. Just listen to the laidback beauty of 'Eventually' with its country chords and learn how to stand upright and feet tap simultaneously. 'You're Quiet' could be deemed a little twee and sure enough after a few listens it does begin to cloy. It takes its references from 80's hipsters the Cars and is a jaunty escapade that partially hides the singer’s frustrated state of mind. Like on several of the other tracks Falkner helps out on vocals giving the sound a nice kick in a different direction. The romper stomper thrill of 'I'm Easy' appears out of the blue. Carting at the speed of a patriot missile the songs imagination is fuelled by someone else’s ideas but that said, the chorus is about as tempting as sweet smelling fresh apple pie in Eden. Just imagine your agile grandmother giving it loads at an alcohol fuelled wedding and you can imagine the lust for life it possesses. 'Pleasure Seeker' is equally attractive, Benson takes on a Stephan 'tintin' Duffy lilt and the jangling guitars struggle to contain his vocals, as they turn particularly syrupy.

'Just Like Me' manages to quell the furore of the previous tracks without diminishing the power of the songwriting. Its easygoing nature could appeal to the whole spectrum of musical tastes. Imagine a latter day Paul McCartney writing as if he wasn't preoccupied with appealing to the cloth eared masses. 'Jet Lag' has Gilbert O'Sullivan's ear for emotional injury and a cosmos peering keyboard arrangement that leaves the listener like putty in Bensons chewed hands. As the encore reprises 'Metarie', without the fireworks, you can almost anticipate the standing ovations from 100 different Brendan Benson shows to be held sometime in the near future.

Brendan Benson deserves success. With Lapalco he hints at what could be achieved with a little encouragement (namely decent sales). Over its duration, the album occasionally loses focus through a nagging hint of repetitiveness. Just when you feel a yawn coming on, however, a shiny pop song emerges giving you adequate ammunition to impress your Lapalcoless friends. Let's hope next time around he will be teaching the world to sing.

Rating: 6.5/10

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