Brendan Benson - My OldFamiliar Friend

Thu 8th Oct, 2009 in Music Reviews

The last few years have been a busy time for Brendan Benson. Kicking off the second part of the decade with his acclaimed third album The Alternative to Love, the Detroit musician started to gain more widespread recognition through his work with The Raconteurs, a collaboration with fellow musicians Jack White, Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence.

Two Ranconteurs records down and a notable contribution to a Stooges song later, and 2009 sees the singer/songwriter make a very welcome return to the solo fray. Throwing aside the rougher edges of music he has been dabbling in of late, My Old Familiar Friend returns to what can only be described as old familiar Benson territory: excellent hooks, wonderful get-in-your-head melodies and tales of heartbreak; all bound together in a crisp and full-bodied power pop sound.

Recorded in Nashville and London with the acclaimed Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters) behind the producer wheel, My Old Familiar Friend is an instant charmer. It’s introduced with a bang with the friendly A Whole Lot Better, a spirited pop-rock driven by massive organ and guitar hooks and warm harmonies.

It’s a tune only matched in catchiness by the timeless and sure-fire album highlight Poised and Ready; with its choppy guitar and euphoric chorus, this song is the embodiment of perfect power pop.

Benson’s voice – Iggy Pop, who invited him to perform on the Stooges track Free and Freaky, used words like “sweet”, “clean” and “effortless” to describe it – is assured and surprisingly powerful, and is a great storyteller of these emotive tales. The songs explore familiar love/relationship themes, pouring out tragic bittersweet sentiments like “If she throws her heart away, I’ll be there on garbage day, to sift through what’s left I guess, to sort through the loneliness” in the nostalgic-sounding Garbage Day, or the simple plea of “Put me out of my misery” in the curiously upbeat Misery.

His voice, when bared in the album’s slower numbers like the acoustic You Make a Fool Out of Me, takes on a more vulnerable edge to his vocals, though it manages to remain pitch-perfect and emotionally intense.

Brendan Benson is a rare breed of songwriter these days, but this makes it even easier for him to step up and put his name alongside other alternative icons like The Posies’ Ken Stringfellow or Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood.

Long-time fans will find this album one of Brendan Benson’s most polished, while newcomers are blessed with this great introduction to The Raconteurs’ member’s solo work.

My Old Familiar Friend is out now through Shock.