i got the album in the mail on friday. i've listened to it at least a dozen times. i'll probably end up writing a huge review/impression of it sometime, but here's my little rundown.
i had lower expectations for this album that i would really care to admit. ben folds was getting kind of stale for me. the whole EP thing was a little bothersome. this is his first full length offering of new material in a LONG time.
BF proceeded to KICK MY ASS WITH RIGHTEOUS MUSICIANSHIP with this album. i love it. it's an instant classic in my mind.
I love this album because it has the group feel of a Ben Folds Five album with more mature songwriting. that he's playing with a band again makes me extremely happy. he sort of Prince-d out and recording most/all of the instruments for his past few projects, but i love the group dynamic.
ben folds can be a beast on the piano, but he doesn't have to be. ben folds chips away what he doesn't need until he's got a magnificent pop song that will not escape my head.
here's my TLDR list of my impressions. most of them are musical. his lyrics are pretty good too, but the music always hits me first.
1. Bastard
this track's beginning reminds me of "Baby Britain" by Elliott Smith, being that they both start out with E-minor chords (well, baby britain starts with an Em7 chord, but whatever). it's in odd-meter and changing meter, but it doesn't always seem like it is done just for the sake of doing it. that = good. background vocals that are not ben folds dubbing all over his own tracks = good. vocals around 3:00 sound like Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."
2. You to Thank
6/8 time signature, i like it. the chorus is simple words/melody with heavily arpeggiated chords behind them. it offsets the very blocky verses that have guitar strumming behind. outtro would be called "jazzy" by most, and it fairly is, but it's heavy with those 2-3 suspensions that ben folds love so much. there's a lot of that stuff on this album.
3. Jesusland
a song about Jesus traveling the country. the arpeggiated chords plus the plodding snaredrum evokes images of a train. this song is almost country-y, but not bad country-y. the chorus has Steely Dan harmonies.
4. Landed
suspension-y intro, sounds like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton john for like .2 seconds. i like this song. it's simplistic but not overly so. i dont feel like writing that much about it.
5. Gracie
cute song for his daughter. simple, because it's a quasi-lullabye. not as depression and making-me-wanting-to-put-it-on-my-graduation-mix-CD-omgi'mgonnamissyouguyssomuchatcollege invoking as "Still Fighting It" was on Rockin' the Suburbs.
6. Trusted
lots of quarter notes. right hand has stationary octaves with changing bass chords a lot. it's good. one thing changes and one stays the same. fuzzy bass.
7. Give Judy My Notice
Different than the EP version. country-y with smoother background vocals. has some slide background. some of the chord functions have changed from the EP version. now with drums, it sounds more like the guy who wanted to leave Judy is leaving and travelling. there's lots of "going away" type imagery on this album.
8. Late
song for Elliott Smith. doesn't sound like an elliott smith song. this = good. they didn't really know each other, but BF loved smith's music. it's ok, but not really the standout song.
9. Sentimental Guy
quarter notes. surprise! if ben folds didn't have really catchy melodies and a good amount of dynamicism in his music, the quarter notes would become monotonous, but he changes it up enough to stay fresh. lots of suspensions in this song. and descending bass line. that's always good for me.
10. Time
currently my favorite song on the album. two-note first verse. left hand just does the root of the chord with right hand on color tones. very transparent. the chorus has the FLEETWOOD MAC chord progression of IV-V going back and forth. it's seriously in like every fleetwood mac song ever, but it's such a pop staple that it really can't be resisted. the "ahs" in the background sounds really ben folds five-ish and also kind of like some of the stuff he did on "Fear of Pop Vol. 1." after the 2nd verse, it doesnt go to the I chord, but has a really BFF-like driving bridge.
11. Prison Food
3-3-2 division of two 4/4 bars, but doesn't sound like "Clocks" by Coldplay, which = good. extremely transparent. lots of major 7th chords. major chord are happy, but the major 7th adds an element of bittersweet to it. the bassline climbs and descends scales just like in "Smoke" off of Whatever and Ever Amen. crosby stills nash and young-like vocals during the bridge. after that, there's an aggressive lead in back to the main theme.
Posted by john guari at April 24, 2005 05:00 PM