After listening to Marco Benevento‘s latest LP effort, Swift, it is unmistakable that the keyboardist has added to his vast arsenal since his last solo album, TigerFace. What’s most pleasantly surprising about the album is the prevalence of Benevento’s vocals. This time around, Benevento solicited the expertise of producer Richard Swift, who has worked with artists that include Damien Jurado, The Shins, and Foxygen. The finished product: a harmonious blend of signature Benevento soundscapes and sonic permutations amid deep, resonating lyrics.

The jump off to the album, “At The Show,” is a catchy, danceable number that showcases Benevento’s strong rhythm section of former Ween bassist Dave Drewitz and drummer Andy Borger. With a Daft Punk-esque feel to the open of Swift, Benevento sets the bar very high for the rest of the way. He does not dissapoint.

Melodic tracks like “Witches Of Ulster” and “Coyote Hearing” are what listeners have come to expect from Benevento. The textures the mad scientist supplies via his array of keyboards and snyths transport the listener into a colorful realm of sound that very few other artists are able to engage. This is what makes Swift such a fun listen. It has an equilibrium of light and shade, and nicely exhibits Benevento’s talents as both a great player and songwriter. 

The final few driving tracks, “One And One Is Two,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Free Us All,” though varying in tone, dynamics, and tempo, hammer home that Benevento has turned a page onto a new chapter of his solo career, one that will likely see him grow as a singer and songwriter; although it’s unlikely he will diverge too far from the great instrumental pieces he has come to be known for. Had they all been strictly instrumental tracks, it would have still worked, but fans will now have more to look forward to with Benevento opening up and expressing himself now not only through his exquisite compositions, but through his words now, too.

-Shane McFarland (@mcfarlands412)