ben folds: rockin' the suburbs

BY ELIZA TRIGGS

Folds' lyrics have always been a mix of the profound and flippant. Here he continues to explore issues such as aging and the loss of ideals in songs like "The Ascent of Stan." Throughout the CD, serious songs like "Carrying Cathy"—which involves the suicide of a lover—war with songs involving Preparation-H. However, introspection, no matter how catchy, seems to win.

Musically, Ben Folds alone sounds almost identical to Ben Folds Five, the main difference being instrumentation. On albums such as Whatever and Ever Amen, the lack of a lead guitar kept the Five grounded in simplified piano driven pop. Here, Folds' preference for the somewhat grandiose pop of the '70s, apparent in The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, is given free reign. Those who find artists like Billy Joel a guilty pleasure will enjoy this CD, especially songs such as "Zak and Sara" and "Losing Lisa." The ever prominent piano is here, as on most tracks, comfortably balanced by intricate strings, backing vocals reminiscent of the Beach Boys, hand claps, and choruses consisting entirely of the words "la da da." Ben Folds Five fans will be pleased to see that songs like "Rockin' the Suburbs" (in which Folds boasts that he's rocking the suburbs like Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot, and Jon Bon Jovi) walk Fold's familiar line between humor and camp.

Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee, the other members of Ben Folds Five, are also acknowledged, but it is clear that their loss has not greatly affected Folds' music. While not growing noticeably as an artist, Ben Folds continues to make enjoyable pop that never takes itself too seriously. (Epic)

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