Ready for something different? Benin City is plenty different, and in all the best ways. The London based band named after the city in Nigeria has a lot to offer for the listener that may be a little bored with the latest trends. Simple yet eloquent, the band’s debut LP “Fires in the Park” offers some accessible and inspiring electro with a heavy hip hop influence.
“People Will Say,” starts with a head nodding bass line and a pleasant synthesized melody. The lyrics are rapped and remind the listener a little of socially conscious, uplifting messages of hip hop artists like K-OS, but without the heavy metaphysical lifting. “Wha Gwan,” is a track for fans of hip hop that delight in a slightly different cadence then he/she would typically hear in the hip hop world. The electronic instrumentals are clever and unpredictable: juxtaposing fuzzy bass lines and horns in between dreamy synth-laden interludes. “My Love” starts with synth notes serving as percussion, setting the tone for deep and poetic lyrical explosion on love–likening that state of being to an alchemical formula but at the same its deeply personal nature. The song erupts into a melodic triumph that inspires immediate respect and awe.
Typically this reviewer passes on hip hop, but this album is worth a listen even for skeptics of the genre. “Fires in the Park” is an interesting, thoughtful and ultimately worthy purchase. I highly recommend it, but taste it for yourself here.
