Recommended tracks: “Kill The Lights,” “Orchid”
Similar artists: The Strokes, Archer Oh, The Red Pears, late night drive home
benches is a four-piece indie rock band from Southern California known for their blend of 90s Brit-pop and 2000s rock. Their new EP, Kill The Lights, is their first extended project since 2020. Much like most of benches’ music, Kill the Lights explores change and the different impacts it can have on individuals.
Opening with “Departure,” benches sets the tone for the EP. This instrumental track highlights their heavy use of synth throughout the album and gives the listener space to reflect on themselves and anticipate the upcoming tracks. This leads into “Naive,” the first single released from the EP. “Naive” is about figuring out the truth in the midst of chaos. The busy-ness of the song with loud guitar and punchy drums reflects the deeper messages surrounding betrayal, confusion, and doubt about the world around you.
This is followed by the second single released off Kill The Lights, which is the title track. Through strong guitar and leading vocals, benches face their problem of an inescapable past — will this be something that haunts them forever, or will they learn and grow from these situations? This deep reflection is seen throughout the EP, but specifically on “Reach,” during which Benches acknowledges their inability to let go of the things that hurt them.
While some songs on Kill The Lights shed light on dark situations, benches also highlights moments of more positive personal reflection. In songs such as “Orchid,” benches explores what is holding them back from the fulfillment they deserve. Through deep bass and bright synth, they acknowledge the fast speed of change and question what is holding them back from keeping up with it. By the last track, “Here Come the Bitter Tears,” the band learns how to keep up with this fast pace of change and embrace the unknown of the future.
Kill The Lights is the perfect addition to benches’ legacy. It continues their theme of sharing the highs and lows of growing up and facing the world on your own, but it also highlights new musical growth in both the vocals and instrumentation. Kill The Lights is about exploring who you are and what you hope to be in an ever-changing world and encourages listeners to keep searching for whatever brings them fulfillment.
You can listen to Kill The Lights below.
