Morning Stanzas is the Debut album from the New York based five-man, Benzos. After listening tentatively to the album in its entirety, a short excursion to the local blockbuster has erased any recollection of tune, beat, or lyric previously spun. I remember trying to decide whether lead singer Christian Celaya sounds more like Blur's Damon Albarn or a nasally non-Irish Bono. A waning replay factor keeps me from going back and finding out.
Although several of their cited influences are electronic artists, synthesizers take a back seat, responsible mainly for the moody lacings that cover each song. To better suggest the personality of their music envision the mated sounds of Coldplay and Mars Volta. The birthed product of this cross-genre marriage, feels forced and perfunctory, lacking the presence of a distinguishing characteristic that sets a band apart from the crowd. Treading terrain already trodden by the bands like the Doves and almighty Radiohead, the Benzos arrive late to enjoy the interest of listeners who have yet to experience the blinding speed of drummer Jon Theodore (Mars Volta) or the masterful machinations of Chris Martin (Coldplay). The high-ceilinged guitars, and high-pitched ride cymbals leave you, apathetic, on the ground with forgettable melodies.
With all this said (I apologize for all the alliteration I got carried away), Morning Stanzas is not a painful listen. If cheap thrills are the name of your game then by all means check these guys out. However I recommend that you sample them first at MySpace or somewhere else they advertise. Just to play it safe.
2/4
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