Benin City - Fires In The Park

‘Fires In The Park’, the debut album from Benin City, kicks off with ‘People Will Say’. It’s a pretty strong statement: “People will say / Whatever people will say,’ according to vocalist Joshua Idehen, alongside lyrics that point to the trio’s trademark mix of drums and sax. They’re essentially inviting you to critique their album, which is brave, sort of.

But the thing is, it’s such a promising debut, with a great mix of tracks to boot, that it’s not going to invite that much criticism. There’s nothing samey from song to song; ‘Wah Gwan’ follows newest single ‘Faithless’ but sounds entirely different, reminiscent of Ghostpoet’s slower beats, but with less drama.

‘So You Say (Reprise)’ precedes ‘So You Say’ (which actually closes the album). It’s a trick that works though; this is an album out to keep you on your toes. From the dark story of ‘Baby’ to the gorgeous ode ‘This Is London (Part 2)’, which features spoken word artist Deanna Rodger, ‘Fires In The Park’ would be considered showing off if it wasn’t so obviously a product of love and hard work.

Cheerier moments like the brassy ‘Winning Streak’ are begging for a remix to get them on the dancefloor – as it is, the time signatures put an interesting twist on its hip-hop influences. Much of the album is dark, but it takes a few listens to fully notice this; you’re too busy enjoying yourself.

‘So You Say’ rounds things off. It’s glitchy and catchy and a good way to end things on a high note, erasing any of the sour notes the more introspective tracks might’ve left in your mouth. The saxophone is shown off best here, having otherwise been more of a balancer than a unique selling point in other songs.