BRENDAN BENSON is into A WHOLE LOT of things, but we’d BETTER focus on his new album /// The Burning Ear

i fell in love with you, and out of love with you and back in love with you all in the same day

You either know Brendan Benson as the least weird-looking dude in The Raconteurs, or from his previous solo work, but you know him. Or at least you thought you did, as his oddly titled new album, My Old Familiar Friend, doesn’t sound like either really. Benson’s first solo album since 2005 sees him taking a cue from his big-sound Jack White project and adding a bit more noise to his solo tunes. His recent LP is a much bigger and fuller sound than 2002′s Lapalco or 2005′s The Alternative To Love (Lapalco being the much better of the two, if you are interested). It took me a moment to digest this new Brendan as I was initially turned off by lead single “A Whole Lot Better.” It was other tracks, like the dark and driving “Feel Like Taking You Home” and the bouncy “Poised and Ready,” that kept me coming back to the album. It’s great that “A Whole Lot Better” has grown on me since then, but unfortunately most of the album still leaves me a bit cold. There a few mellow jams thet remind me of his older stuff but since they are mixed in with the noisier new stuff it just doesn’t gel for me. I am not drawn to it. But then again, as much as I enjoy The Raconteurs and Benson’s solo work, I rarely return to those albums as well. Weird how that works.

♫ Brendan Benson – Feel Like Taking You Home

BONUS BACKSTORY: Benson released his forst abum at 26 (in 1996) on major label Virgin Records. It got good reviews but bad sales and they dropped him. He fell off the radar for years until he surfaced in 2001 by mailing Lapalco to Isaac Green (owner of Startime International records) with a note saying “This record needs home.” Since Green is no dummy, the rest is history.

Bonus Benson:

♫ Brendan Benson – Tiny Spark <–♡ / 2002 (album)

♫ Brendan Benson – What I’m Looking For / 2005 (album)

Bury your face in MySpace /// eMusic too