8/10

Some records arrive like a spark; others like a scent drifting from a kitchen you didn’t realise you’d been missing. 'Cucino', the first full-length offering from Eora/Sydney producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Benjamino, is firmly the latter; delivering a warm, aromatic, and deeply inviting listen, crafted with the deliberate care of someone who knows that real flavour comes from time, instinct, and a little bit of fire.

Across this sumptuous twelve-track collection, Benjamino leans fully into his role as sonic chef, simmering grooves and melodies until they reach a point of smoky sweetness. The album unfolds course by course as a structural spine for a project bursting with personality. Light, playful openers give way to fuller, richer passages, each track slotting into place like dishes served in conversation with one another. It’s a surprisingly tender framework, and it works.

Musically, the record is a lush tangle of rhythm and warmth. You can hear Benjamino’s fingerprints in the satin-sheen basslines, the elegant chord voicings, and the laid-back synth flourishes that nod to late-night neo-soul as much as they do 70s slow-jam royalty. His voice floats between airy sweetness and understated grit, anchoring the project with an ease that feels lived-in rather than showy. There’s a looseness here that gives the songs room to stretch, sway, and breathe.

Some of the album’s most striking moments come when Benjamino lets genre melt at the edges. A shimmer of disco erupts like champagne bubbles. A jazz-leaning progression opens like sunrise. A meditative groove lingers long after the last beat fades. These shifts feel purposeful, as though each “course” has been plated with an eye toward contrast and surprise.

What’s most impressive is the balance he strikes, as the record feels meticulously sculpted but never rigid. The project carries the intimacy of someone working alone in a room, yet it bursts with life, colour, and movement.

With 'Cucino', Benjamino establishes himself as an artist who understands indulgence as intention. It’s an album with soul, swagger and a generous spirit; the kind that fills a room, calms the mind, and makes everything taste a little sweeter. Whether you’re barefoot in your kitchen or lost under a club’s soft lights, this debut is a feast worth savouring slowly.