Benefits in session at Radio X – recorded March 22 for John Kennedy’s XPosure program.
The UK Music newspaper NME calls them “A brutal but heartfelt wakeup call”.
Agree 100%. Benefits are saying what a lot of people in this world are feeling right now. Punk that fairly explodes with rage, anger and weariness of the world as we are witnessing it right now.
Benefits take lyrical aim at a broader, Western sickness that’s metastasized in the face of global military aggression and political cover for foreign genocidal outrages. Looking out the global window but still articulating the British experience of ‘new’ New Labour doldrums, Benefits capture exactly how you’re feeling: “It’s easier to tell the world to fuck off and die” succinctly encapsulating the weathered misanthropy brought by years of gnawing insignificance: ”but no one is asking why”.
With the release of their second album, Constant Noise, lead vocalist Kingsley Chapman continues the unrestrained rage and puts into words what most of the world is feeling right now. Something I wish would serve as an example for other (American) artists to follow. But I’m not sure that’s going to happen – when Punk first came upon the world, it was out of a sense of rage and frustration over what was going on in Britain at the time, the “Thatcher” years. But America, with a few exceptions didn’t seem to get that, even though we had our own set of frustrations associated with The Reagan Years, we chose not to pay attention to the wakeup call.
Now the wakeup call is screaming at us and the rage is palpable and universal. Benefits is doing what music of Protest does best; blow the seats out from under the complacent – and it’s clear by their growing popularity since their debut album they are getting the message across.
Are we going to feel the same way? Pardon my cynicism but we’re much too complacent to do anything but drown in Tik-Tok and pretend this will all blow over.
I’m afraid we’ve gone past that now – Listen to Benefits and take a few cues here and there. We’re past nodding and shrugging.
