Benzos – Morning Stanzas

Take One in the Morning and Call Me When You’re Happy

When the same indistinguishable, Prozac-popping-to-level-out-the-chemically-imbalanced-brain-waves Alternative/Indie bands are running terribly rampant through the music industry, it is quite refreshing to come across a band like Benzos that doesn’t fit so tidily into that mainstream category. The band, like their sleep-aid anti-anxiety pill derivative namesake Benzodiazepine, will calm the nerves and ease the mind.The album, Morning Stanzas, is a rich and complex blend of ambient electronic and rock with transcendent vocals sounding much like Bono from U2. Even though the band was conceived in New York, Benzos sounds as if they could have been bred in Europe. Their sound is more akin to bands such as Coldplay, Radiohead and Catherine Wheel than American bands in the same genre like The Postal Service and Bright Eyes. It is much more about the soundscape and soothing tapestry being woven than the hard-hitting anthems being cranked out across the airwaves. Their influences, as stated in their press release, aren’t as obvious as most bands’ in today’s music world and range from Pink Floyd to Prefuse 73, Massive Attack, Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. Some of those influences are darker, experimental and more electronic whereas some are the essential jazz masters. All of these varied sounds culminate to create the relaxing and intriguing beats of Benzos’ brand of musical treatment.

In a world where people are too dependant on popping pills to cure their symptoms, Stanzas should be the all-purpose prescription for depression, boredom and lack of rhythm. Though the medical version of benzos may have zombie-like side effects, the band certainly does not. The benefits of Benzos far surpass any drawbacks.