Benny

Finnish Road Junction (2003)

Jim

Does anyone want to let me in on the joke? Seriously, I don't get it. Benny is a melodic hardcore band out of the UK that at times sounds like it would fit in just fine on Fat Wreck in the mid-nineties. At other times they go completely off the wall with songs that really don't fit in anywhere. Benny strikes me as a bunch of friends who just decided to record a funny CD because they had the ability to do so.

Remember those tapes you made as a kid, the ones you'd just listen to every now and to get a cheap laugh? That's the kind of vibe Benny gives off. Their musicianship is just fine for what they do, but it's also nothing special. The vocals are almost completely incoherent, and I had to struggle to make out a single word. Trust me; this is pretty odd coming from someone who routinely listens to a bunch of bands that primarily scream. These guys also provide one of the most unusual covers of "Down Under" by Men at Work that I've ever heard. I didn't even recognize it until I heard the chorus, but even then it sounded like they were covering Pennywise's cover instead of the original.

The lyrics, well I couldn't really tell you about the lyrics because the band thought it would be a cool idea to use a bunch of pictures of Finland instead. They do get some weirdness/creativity points for implementing a cowbell, a didgeridoo, and a vocal guitar solo into their songs though. "What the hell is a vocal guitar solo?" is probably the question on your mind right now. Well, they basically had someone go "wooowooowoooweeewooo" (very descriptive, eh?) instead of using an actual guitar solo.

This doesn't seem like the type of album that a band would offer up for analytical critiquing. I get the feeling that Benny recorded this to have a few laughs while knocking back some beers with their friends. Hey, if they can sell some albums while just fucking around, good for them. I on the other hand, didn't really get the joke. Who knows, maybe this is one of those things you have to be British to understand, kind of like kidney pie.