Nick Bensen
No Resistance
Freecitymedia

An American artist that mentions Motorpsycho and Dipsomaniacs as important influences. Remarkable, unlikely? Guess that's understandable, but then Nick Bensen of San Francisco isn't the average American artist. Being brought up on Beatles from the age of 2, and getting his weekly dose of contemporary psych-rock early on, he definitely has the prime background to record interesting music.

No Resistance is Bensen's second full-length. Psychedelic Juggernaut released last year didn't quite get the reception it asked/called for, but hopefully this will change with the release of this new freak-out acid-psych album. The album is a mix of numerous different styles, but the main focus is on freak-out rock. Compared to Bensen's previous effort, Psychedelic Juggernaut, this album is less synth-based, more rock and also has got stronger songs. The titletrack and "Great Burst Of Clarity" are definitely among the better psych gems you will hear this year, and Bensen proves to us that he masters the skills of both songwriting and recording techniques to the fullest. We even get a couple of songs with hit-potential this time, if music like this can produce hits. At least the songs stick to mind more often than not. It will be exciting to follow Bensen in the future. My bet is that we'll all be in for a treat and several sonic surprises in the future. Fans of acid psych take notice.

The album is available at indie stores, and on-line shops (such as Eclipse, CD Baby, or Swamp Room). You can also contact Nick in person.

Copyright © 2001 Karl Morten Dahl