Benny Sings

As those on North American shores found out recently with the phenomenal success of Peter, Bjorn, and John, and going all the way back to the Cardigans, there is a great depth of pure pop sensibility floating around the European continent. The next heir should have his catchy ditties all over our radio but the musical world is an unjust place. Taking the guilty pleasure, polished appeal of Maroon 5’s best songs (and by that I only mean "This Love” and "Sunday Morning”), mixing them with sunny MOR arrangements the guys in Steely would drool over and a lazy dance vibe the Happy Mondays employed, Benny… At Home is wonderfully sublime pop. Lead track "Coconut” has an Elton-style piano lead-in that goes into a great handclap beat. The album is flush with horns and sing-along choruses. Although a hippie vibe does prevail in the looseness of the songs, it is more a "spliff and beer in the ’Dam” than Birkenstocks and patchouli kind.