Label: Sony
Released: Apr 26, 2005 |
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| Songs For Silverman |  |
| > Ben Folds |
by brandon |
In 2001, Ben Folds released Rockin’ The Suburbs – his first official solo album which was technically indistinguishable from those released by Ben Folds Five from the mid to late 90’s. The album was a wide range of emotions from upbeat to soothing to almost depressing. The array was enough to keep you hooked and it did just that for the past four years. In that time, Folds also released a live version of that album which does an excellent job capturing the vibrant spirit of Ben’s “one man and a piano” shows of which I was able to catch a few. He also released three EP’s in 2003 and 2004 to wet your appetite in smaller intervals. But the EP’s served as more of an appetizer as I eagerly awaited the arrival of Songs For Silverman.
My first impression of this album came from the single Landed (which is available from iTunes, now). The song is soft but builds at times and I feel it was an appropriate selection for the first single. The chorus is subtle, but will find itself stuck in your mind right under more catchier tunes from Folds’ past. Also released on iTunes was Bitches Ain’t Shit, which, sadly, does not appear on the album. That might have been the first clue that this album wasn’t going to be the upbeat, exciting, childish Ben Folds that I’ve come to appreciate, but I remained hopeful.
Now, I must admit Folds uses the piano in ways that I would not ever imagine appreciating, but I really do. It’s just that I expect even the saddest songs to crescendo into something that gives me goose bumps. On this album, however, I’m quite bored. The tracks would do well interspersed amongst Zak and Saras and Armies, but back-to-back? I’m entertaining the thought that Folds is trying to move his fans toward adult contemporary. Where are the shits and (look out I’m going to say) fucks that us 20-somethings looking for a childish reprieve from the shock of the “real world”, reality shows, news about war in Iraq and social security that seem to invade our daily life? I’m sorry if I’m not ready to put on some easy listening, get a mortgage and have a kid. I want to know about made up jobs at Chic-fil-A and some guy named Hiro and about Ben’s redneck past.
I have tickets to see Folds in Philly next month and I’m reasonably sure that it will be like all the other times I’ve seen him. If he sticks to the new record, I think the crowd will be lulled to sleep.
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