Benjamin’s Kite: Antediluvian Euphonies / Ingenious Cacophonies

Record deals…. bands used to covet them, but then often once they had secured that source to hopeful stardom, often they became a curse. So it was for Canadian progressive pop outfit Benjamin’s Kite. Having signed with Spy Records, the album that they released together in 1991 actually arrived under the name The Kite - “the name is too long and confusing for audiences� said the label - and with a sheen that negated any connections the band felt they had to the neo-prog scene. As you’d expect, things didn’t go well from there and as with so many bands who were asked to compromise their original vision, the end was nigh… until that was they reformed under their intended name of Benjamin’s Kite and proceeded to write some new music, while also revisiting work from their debut album and other music they wrote from that time. The results so far have amounted to 2018’s very wordy Antediluvian Euphonies and 2020’s Ingenious Cacophonies, which feel very much joined in ideal and approach, although there’s also growth between the pair.

The former of the two (typing out that album title every time is an exercise in futility!) really does quite an excellent job of revealing Benjamin’s Kite’s initial vision, but also, for me, the issue their record label then had in working out what way to turn with them. Complex in construction, clever in arrangement and impeccable in performance, the prog intentions are clear to hear and yet with smooth keys, pumping bass work and relaxed drumming, the overall mood and feel heads in a completely different direction. With the vocals reminding, in a good way, of Don Henley (four band members are credited with lead vocals, so who is singing what I’m not sure), it’s difficult to square the circle of whether you’re listening to Henley’s “The Boys Of Summer�, pre-Eat Me In St Louis It Bites, or Saga in their less forceful moments and I’d guess the latter may have had an influence on their country-mates at some point. “Distant Thunder� is upbeat, catchy and 40 years ago would have had genuine smash-hit potential, the eleven minute “Concrete And Steel�, on the other hand, while still shimmering with glistening synths and razor sharp hooks, is deeper in intention and musically more adventurous. Add in some excellent guitar work that reminds in places of Ian Crichton (Saga) and really this is impressive fare that stands up to repeat listens. “On My Way� instead heads into territory that Cutting Crew might have contemplated in their softer moments, before the title track is happy to sprinkle us with some jazzy piano while a saxophone deepens that mood. As an instrumental aside, it’s an unusual step from the rest of the album, and feels like something of an indulgence. All of which then leads into the Yes-lite of the fifteen minute “Baja Chase�, which again features tasty guitar work and some amazing keyboard contributions. For me, fun though it is, Antediluvian Euphonies is a confused experience that lands somewhere that yacht rock enthusiasts, 80s pop aficionados and prog rock fans will all connect with, but only in fleeting moments (2.5/5).

Conversely, Ingenious Cacophonies feels a little more focussed right from the off, “Widow Maker� still possessing all of the elements to be found on the debut album, but with a heavier guitar edge, even the more pop moments make much more sense. Suddenly the disparate attacks come together in what is a catchy, hook laden track but one that is infused with energy and verve, especially in the fiery guitars and big church like organs. “High Water Mark� slides toward a more restrained, plaintive direction, reminding in places of Arena at their least biting, and while admittedly once the vocals really kick in and the bass starts to pump there’s an 80s commercial rock-pop sheen, again, there seems to be a clear destination being aimed for. The influence of Saga looms large over “One Good Soldier�, the buzzing, darting guitars and keyboard stabs a clear link, before “Spoken True� tumbles into pure 80s pop balladry. Undoubtedly it’s the six part “Sector 85� that this second release from Benjamin’s Kite revolves round, twenty-six and a half minutes given to the piece in an effort to allow this outfit to really stretch out. That said, the opening three and a bit minutes being what amounts to a keyboard introduction feels like a waste, but once this epic gets going properly, it pays off in a way that a lot of the material across these two albums only ever really hints at. With nods to It Bites, Genesis and more, there also seems less unwillingness to truly let the undoubted prog credentials Benjamin’s Kite possess to shine through - something that for me would have benefitted a lot of this music greatly. It’s an another lengthy track, “Barnard’s Loop� that closes the album out and even with some occasional keyboard chops shown, countering that against smooth saxophone again unwisely points us towards yacht rock/pop. (3/5)

I enjoy nearly all of the elements presented on both of these albums - pop, rock, West Coast, synth, prog, neo-prog and whatever else might be lurking. However, all too often the tendency to veer from style to style and mood to mood within these songs leaves them being neither one thing nor another and while I’m a huge neo-prog fan, having that interspersed with 80s chart pop sensibilities all too often keeps me at arms length. It is worth mentioning that the sound on both albums and the artwork is exemplary and the actual musical performances beyond complaint. Sadly, however, that doesn’t necessarily amount to a pair of albums I connect with, even if I can admire much of what’s going on across both.

Track Listing
Antediluvian Euphonies
1. A Trail of Tears 
2. Distant Thunder 
3. This Endless Night 
4. Concrete and Steel 
5. On My Way 
6. Antediluvian Euphonies
 7. Baja Chase

Ingenious Cacophonies
1. Widow Maker 
2. High Water Mark 
3. One Good Soldier
 4. Spoken True
 5. Sector 85 
- i. Transfiguration
- ii. Emergence
- iii. The Party
- iv. Cascade
- v. Towards Orion
- vi. Ascendance
 6. Barnard's Loop

Added: April 12th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Benjamin's Kite online
Hits: 192
Language: english

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