(Pre-Order) French Cassettes - Benzene

Benzene means nothing and everything. As a child, Scott Huerta’s birth name—Lorenzo—transformed into Wren, then Renzo. Before long, he was Renzo Benzo. By the age of four, the family had largely settled on Benz, which is what they still call him today. Benzene, Huerta’s own abstraction, was chosen on a whim. “I wish I had a better explanation,” he admits. “I guess I should have Googled it first.” The self-deprecation is classic Benz, as is this crossing of the wires between the flippant and the deeply meaningful. 

The San Francisco band’s third album holds up so well to repeated listens thanks to it’s world of references, quotes and handmade word-puzzles that only Huerta can fully unpack. Some of the band’s influences are apparent: The Magnetic Fields in the tight song construction and humor, The Beach Boys in the harmonies and experimentation. But Huerta’s lyrical aesthetic is his own, and Benzene is packed to the gills with funny, memorable one-liners punctuated by knife twists. Its themes never veer too far from separation: from partners you still want the best for; from family members who have died; from a person you’re trying hard not to be.

PRE-ORDER LP WILL SHIP 1 WEEK BEFORE JUNE 7, 2024. ANY PRODUCTS ORDERED WITH THIS PRE-ORDER WILL BE HELD TO SHIP TOGETHER.