Benna
What’s Meant To Be
Adult Swim
NYC popster Benna has a lot of good things going for her, but what really sets her apart on her third release is the sheer impact and innovation of her songwriting. Her songs are crafted but gently playful, profoundly bittersweet but teasing and always riding on the right side of clichéd summer pop. Where other artists might have ended up in pastiche and irony, Benna’s intimate sincerity marks her out as someone far more intriguing and interesting than most of her peers. With her perky voice and disarmingly honest musical approach, her songs may use 1990s indie pop as a reference point, but they retain their uniqueness and contemporary DIY texture.
A multi-talented artist herself, Benna is helped out by a couple of special guests, including producer/musician Louie Lino who lends her some vitally creative support throughout. A track like “Medicine” bears some resemblance to Kristin Hersh, while “Half A Girl” is a brilliant piece of jangly power pop, and “Arrive” a splendid musical-influenced psych-pop number. The over-novae “Rocket” is the only misstep, but fortunately does not detract from the immense power of this rare talent. What’s Meant To Be sets Benna miles apart from your regular indie popster, and is essential for anyone who ever wondered if there was life beyond the grrrl movement of the mid-‘90s.
Adult Swim Records: http://www.adultswimrecords.com/
