Brendan Benson

• 7th Sep 2003

Brendan Benson is an artist whose name evokes vague recognition among some, but drooling, obsessive enthusiasm from those who truly know his work, and he's back with the release of a new single 'Metarie', taken from his new breathtaking 'Lapalco' album. Its dozen songs showcase a brand of rock'n'roll melodicism that's both jangly and crunchy, wistful and witty, dreamy and dark, hi-gloss and lo-fi, and has been described by the Sunday Times as “An album of such radiant beauty and wrist-slashing introspection that it puts all other pretenders to the Beatles/Beach Boys mantle firmly in their place”.

Brendan's second album ranges from the wry but downbeat 'Metarie' to the kickass fuzzbox bubblegum of “You're Quiet”, and songs like “Good To Me” and “I'm Easy” are surefire toe-tappers, but on the whole, “Lapalco” is more meditative than its predecessor, especially with its conclusive troika of “Pleasure Seeker”, “Just Like Me” and “Jet lag”, all bittersweet, semi-acoustic, semi-ballads. As Brendan explains: “I usually say I'm pop-rock….I'd just like to get the 'rock' in there somewhere”.

After schlepping round the globe with the likes of Ben Kweller, Flaming Lips and most recently with Beth Orton, Brendan Benson finally gets round to playing some shows of his own to coincide with the release of 'Metarie' on the 14th April. Brendan will be bringing along his rag-tag backing band of merry men The Well Fed Boys to ably assist him. Catch what promises to be a set of eight amazing shows at the following places:

APRIL
2 – NORTHAMPTON Soundhaus
3 – BRISTOL Fleece 7 Firkin
4 – STOKE Sugarmill
5 – BIRMINGHAM Academy
7 – GLASGOW King Tuts
8 – NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
9 – LIVERPOOL Academy II
10 – LONDON ULU