Back in 2015, Eric Pulido, the frontman of Texas folk rock band Midlake, revealed that he was creating a supergroup named BNQT (pronounced “banquet”) with members from Band of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, Grandaddy, and Travis. Following a lengthy wait, the collective has finally released their debut song “Restart”, a classic rock inspired anthem about giving up and starting over.
The debut single from BNQT is packed with fuzzy power chords, scrambling bass lines, and rumbling drums. Although “Restart” begins with just one voice, it later expands into a collective chorus that is sure to brighten up even the dullest of days. Needless to say, BNQT's first offering sounds as if it was plucked straight from the discography of legendary group T-Rex.
“I think we can all use a restart/ but what does that mean,” the accumulated voices sing harmoniously towards the end of “Restart”.
The band features an impressive array of five lead singers, including Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Fran Healy of Travis, and Midlake’s very own Eric Pulido. The resulting effort showcases what happens when the best of the indie dad rock world collides.
“Restart” is the opening cut from BNQT’s forthcoming debut album Vol. 1, due out on April 28 via Dualtone/Bella Union.
Here’s the track list for Vol. I:
- Restart
- Unlikely Force
- 100 Million Miles
- Mind Of A Man
- Hey Banana
- Real Love
- Failing at Feeling
- L.A. On My Mind
- Tara
- Fighting The World
Assuming that BNQT’s upcoming 10-track project incorporates the relentless guitar rock featured on the opening number, you can expect even more classic rock revival and collaborative vocal melodies on Vol. 1. We certainly hope so.
