Get set for poetics, big tunes and energetic beats – Benin City have just released their new EP, ‘Midnight Malarky’. And it’s every bit as enjoyable as we hoped it would be. And it’s no secret that we’ve got quite a fondness for the band here.

‘Bus’ opens the album brilliantly – beginning with a simple riff accompanied solely by vocals, before the song’s big hook crashes in. And that hook is an absolutely irresistible musical Casanova, which forms a powerful centrepiece for a song rich in reflective celebration with a touch of melancholy. It’s a great note for the EP to start on, and features some great guest vocal work from Shanaz Dorsett. Our full track review of ‘Bus’ can be found here.

‘Long Way Home’ begins rather unassumingly; opening with slow instrumentation, punctuated with brass melodies. And while the song is definitely a slow-burner, it’s hugely enjoyable because – in good Benin City fashion – the chorus ensnares even the most undecided listener. And from there, you’re enveloped in three-minute-long sway. There is no escaping it.

From here the EP picks up into remix versions of the first two tracks. And while every remix is great, the first is the one that we’ve got to draw attention to. The Kirk Spencer remix of ‘Bus’ is a great remix, and is definitely the best remix of a new artist’s track that we’ve heard in a very long time. It’s so good that you can listen to the track below.

‘Midnight Malarky’ is a great offering from a fantastic act, and the only criticism is that it’s so short! We want more. No, we NEED more. Hopefully there isn’t too long a wait for a new full album release from Benin City. Because we can’t wait!

You can buy ‘Midnight Malarky’ here.

9/10