North Carolina’s Benji Hughes fronted a rock band in the nineties. He’s written commercial jingles (“Got a Little Captain in You?” for Captain Morgan rum). He’s made music for film and television (Walk Hard, Eastbound & Down). He released 2008’s A Love Extreme, his excellent double-LP debut record. His eccentric Merge debut Songs in the Key of Animals was released in 2016. It’s the kind of record that reminds us music can be fun without being empty. But these ventures aren’t different hats Hughes wears. They’re not different paths traveled. This is Hughes playing in different keys.
