Please note this is an old page and Fly Global Music has now moved. Please follow this link and search for the entry in the new site.

Mathew Baynton (vocals, guitar, bass), Grace Cheung (vocals, keyboards), Tom Corbett (vocals, guitar, bass), Ben Gates (keyboards, saxophones), Steve Galloway (drums) and Matt Turner (guitar, bass) are on the verge of releasing their debut album as Special Benny. They say they draw their influences from the such diverse sources as Tortoise, Jim O’Rourke, Sufjan Stevens, Battles, Frank Zappa and Steve Reich which might give you the clue that these guys are music students (apart from Mat) and their studius nature has meant that Toys has been in the making since 2006 when they released Rumblestrip EP.

From that time, the track ‘Rumblestrip’ survives as it wasn’t until 2008 when that Rob Smoughton (aka Grosvenor and live drummer for Hot Chip) give them the proverbial kick up the snare and they completed the album.

Perhaps it is due to their wide range of influences that you can’t quite put your finger on where they are coming from/going to. All the lyrics are by Mat (who apparently has another life as an actor) but the opener ‘Air Filter’ is like Orange Juice meets Dexys Midnight Runners meets Eighteen Day of May (with extra contributions by Tessa Oakley-Watts on cello and Rich Watts on trumpet). I must say that this Special Benny ‘Big Band’ set up is the most pleasing of the nine tracks on the album.

That said, they are clearly a talented bunch and ‘Drums And Phase’ suitably showcases drummer Steve but it’s like a sub-Smiths/Zappa/Reich/Jona Lewie instrumental - too many influences? I think not: destined for TV exposure soon (who remembers the A to Z of Bathrooms?).

So why is this album called Toys? No idea. Guessing again, as it’s taken so long to produce, have they been playing with the songs so much that they see them as favourite toys? Well you wouldn’t guess from “Well Done, Josef!” or ‘Children Are Cruel’ as they are are nu-prog-folk (sorry guys and gals, early Yes gets reinvented - don’t forget Votel Voltage whilst we’re at it).

‘Children Are Cruel’ was included on the 2004 compilation Bedroom Ambience 4: Good Vibrations (that included interview segments with Simeon of Silver Apples) and fans of early Roxy Music will certainly get it (with the added bonus that you don’t have to suffer the vocals of Mr. Ferry).

And as most of this album is instrumental, you’d have thought this would be hard work but the drumming of Galloway is almost possessed (‘Inspector Sands’) and the ambient-ish ‘Sine And Step’ is like lite relief - like a music box meets I.D.M. you can see where Battles comes in somewhere.

Talkin’ of youngsters, ‘Croydon’ would be dubstep? No, it wouldn’t. Put your iPod on the tramline and it’s Roxy vs. Yes vs. James Chance on a Tappan Zee to Rip Rig and Panic gig (more Rich Watts on trumpet)

Up until now their last gig (and at that time last ever) was at their spiritual home The Fox in Lewisham (infamous rock pub with a good choice of real ale the last time I visited) but there’s an album lauch gig coming up in the heart of East London at the home of Hoxton indie-chic, The Macbeth.

Thankfully Special Benny actually sound so much better than their name (as opposed to bands with brilliant names that sound crap) and Toys is surprisingly really good. Let your ‘Toys Come Out To Play’ and felt he buzz.

Forthcoming Dates:
22.09.10 Special Benny ‘Toys’ Album Launch Party- Special Benny/The Voodoo Trombone Quartet /Hong Kong In The 60s /Grovesnor @ The Macbeth, Hoxton Street, London www.themacbethuk.co.uk FREE

Reviewed: Special Benny - Toys (Proper Songs) Cat. No. PRPRSNGS004 Release date: 6th September 2010
Tracklisting:
1. Air Filter (5:03)
2. Drums And Phase (5:41)
3. Rumblestrip (5:20)
4. “Well Done, Josef!” (7:46)
5. Children Are Cruel (5:37)
6. Inspector Sands (3:44)
7. Sine And Step (4:19)
8. Croydon (5:31)
9. Toys Come Out To Play (3:24)

Links:
www.specialbenny.com
<a href=”http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=141296079238644&ref=tsfacebook/specialbenny
specialbenny.bandcamp.com
Artwork by Mat Pringle matpringle.blogspot.com
www.propersongs.net
Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone: The Silver Apples 08.08.10 BBC 6 Music bbc.co.uk