Blisspop staff writer Lu is reporting from Cape Town, South Africa
The first couple of seconds of the latest Bye Beneco release titled “I’m Not the One” has the potential to leave you dumbfounded. It’s almost as if the band recorded the sound of a motor engine and started sampling it to create this rumbling bass sort of effect. Although as soon as the crash hits, we’re tossed into this colorful world textured with glitzy synthesizers and melodies catchy enough to inspire the birth of an earworm.
Bye Beneco is one of those bands in the South African music scene that just adds flavor to any festival line up. They’re known for their Dream Pop/Indie/Psych-rock sound and every time I listen to them I hear a marriage between the styles of Beach House and Melody’s Echo Chamber albeit with an African twist. ‘I’m Not the One’ is actually the first track the group is releasing as independent artists and among the first out of a string of releases for their upcoming album in 2020.
To be honest, it takes quite a few listens for one to get to know what the song is exactly about. Of course the theme revolves around relationship dynamics, but we pick that up only because of certain words coupled together. From what I gathered the track is about human desire and the inner conflict we experience when fighting off human impulses. It’s about the lonely side of impulse. Lenny-Dee’s vocals are on point as she climbs through various vocal ranges with ease. The song writing holds her back though since the lyrics feel unnecessarily fragmented. We’re able to follow the story she paints during the course of the chorus so lyrically that’s where the magic happens. It’s particularly in the verses where I kept asking myself, “What’s this song is about again?†Apart from that, there is a fine detail which I believe shouldn’t escape mention. THE DRUMFILLS! Your attention may be led by that gorgeous bellish lead or maybe the chords from the saw tooth pad, although I implore you to take notice of the simple yet wonderful drumming here. It arouses a sense of progression and like warm butter the fills smoothly facilitates the transition into the next bar. Talking about transitions, near the end it’s almost as if Bye Beneco is this rocket ship and the audience becomes astronauts as they launch us into this spacey sonic realm. Arpeggios are thrown into the mix and in the background the drums are embellished with a hall reverb kind of effect, further emphasizing the dreaminess.
You’re welcome to take peak at the music video below and find “I’m Not the One” on all digital streaming services.