Label: Self-Released
Rating: 2.5 Guns
Written By: Lindsey Hecht
Within just a few measures of the “Locked Doors EP,” it’s easily seen that The Benjamin Clocks chose the perfect name for their band. The 5-person ensemble delivers slow, steady, and consistently good music just as a Benjamin clock delivers the perfect tempo.
This raspy-voiced Seattle-born band delivers a solid five track album. ‘Trouble in Texas’ begins with a relatively high speed rhythm, paired with slow vocals – giving the listener a chance to hear each and every piano note played in between. But even as the band slows it down for ‘Locked Doors,’ they still manage to bring a familiar feeling to the table.
Frontman Dillion Warnek channels the vocal vibrations of Conor Oberst, and the cadence of his voice wavers and trembles as words are blurred between verse and chorus. The bands lyrics seep out of their pores, leaving a thick expression in their wake that could coat any listener’s skin – and with Seattle as the birthplace of grunge, this seems only natural.
To prove their diversity, The Benjamin Clocks present ‘Director’s Cut,’ which takes a mild step up from dark and depressive, to an upbeat staccato piano. With a resemblance to Something Corporate, this track is in my opinion the most entertaining as the bubbly arrangement masks the message behind the song.
Closing out the album, the initially harsh sounding guitar backs off slightly and lets the more delicate side of the band take over. To truly bring out the softer side, feminine vocals are brought in to harmonize, and a tambourine keeps the pace quite subtly.
As stated in the third track, “nobody knows what goes on behind locked doors” but one thing is for sure: Behind my locked doors, I’ll be listening to this album.
To buy the Benjamin Clocks’ “Locked Doors EP,” hit them up on Myspace.
Like The Benjamin Clocks? Check out … The Thrills, Bright Eyes, Something Corporate
CWG Magazine 