From opening for Azealia Banks to Janelle Monáe to The Drums to Porches, Benzvi has been able to blend in and out of various indie spaces seamlessly. After leading different bands, including super-frantic-pop Strange Names, his talent became undeniable in 2019 with the release of his EP Amnesia, USA. Back then he was going through other people’s experiences as it they were his own to dig into the abilities of his songwriting.
After the pandemic, three years in the making and spending time mastering his craft as an instrumentalist, Acts of Service is already a reality. Benzvi sounds like a generous yet enigmatic narrator of this special approach to the language of love. You can jump in your bedroom to Hypno while getting ready to go out, dance to Limes in a great bar, and come back home with Get Some in your earphones as the dawn is coming, and you feel inspired and vulnerable.
But also enjoy other reflexive and intimate lyrical moments in the standout tracks The Verge (Can you take me to the centre of the earth? I want nothing less than the verge), Not as Good (I can’t be sure if I am cute enough to hold your attention for months when we’re apart) and No Hard Feelings (I am the sun and I’m in my orbit but a piece of you is out order).
Hiccup is one of the best songs released last year, an impressive, sweet pop-rock song that takes you to a cinematic universe. “For so long, I was writing from the perspective of other people and how I imagined they were experiencing me and for this record I wanted to write through what I was feeling about the world and see what it looks like on the page.” Well, it looks stunning. The album is co-produced along with Joe Valle (from the band Wet), and he even mentions Frou Frou in this interview! Indie music is approaching a new narrative and representation for the times we live in; and when it comes to Liam Benzvi’s work it always feels like a rush of newness that leaves you wanting more.
