 
It’s hard to find a more amiable songwriter working today than Brendan Benson. He’s a matchmaker, marrying cheery melodies with clever lyrics. Following up his fine 2002 release, “Lapalco,” Benson delivers another strong, and more mature, collection of power pop tunes. The Detroit native’s songs don’t always have big, obvious hooks, but they always manage to be infectious. He can even make breaking up sound good. “You’re too quiet I’m too loud/Now we’ve hit a storm cloud/I’ll see you on the other side,” he sings on “Cold Hands (Warm Heart).” Benson’s considerable talents are fully realized on “Alternative to Love,” a song that begins with just an acoustic guitar and Benson’s breezy vocals, but then builds and builds into a perfect pop symphony. Some CDs are destined to be played only at certain times, but “The Alternative to Love” doesn’t have that problem. This is an album that would fit into Saturday night as well as Sunday morning. - D.Kimura |
Brendan Benson