It’s been three years since Silverchair dissolved into irrelevance. Out of that puddle of goo steps Ben Gillies (former Silverchair drummer) and his new project: Bento. This time, he takes on the role of lead singer and songwriter. If you’re looking for anything resembling his past work in Silverchair, you’re going to be disappointed.
It’s clear this is a deeply personal project, full of things he’s probably wanted to do for years, but couldn’t. Some of the songs are positively overflowing with meaning and message, but none are particularly memorable.
A couple of the songs (title track “Diamond Days” and “West Side Story” in particular) are admittedly catchy, while some (“Wheels Turn” and “Naked Next To Me“) seem destined to be carved up and featured as the soundtrack to the next generation of luxury car and blue jean commercials. One of the strongest songs on the album (“Glue“) is a more or less pleasant montage of styles, reminiscent of better songs heard elsewhere.
The album features an assortment of Ben’s musical peers as collaborators, but this still isn’t enough to recommend it to anyone not already a fan of the artist. Overall the album is largely forgettable and best served as filler on your “cleaning the house background noise” playlist.
This album gets 3 out of 5 skulls. It’s technically proficient, and ok to listen to while you do other things, but there’s no lasting appeal. You’re never going to ask your buddy to burn you a copy.
