When I first heard about Ben Folds reuniting with his old band, I wouldn’t say I was overjoyed. Ben Folds Five had a few hits, but I felt like they stuck to a sound and style that, though at times fun to listen to, just didn’t vibe with me. Therefore, I can’t really be disappointed in this album, it lived up to my expectations almost exactly. Songs like “Erase Me,” “Draw a Crowd,” and “Do it Anyway” had the straightforward lyrics and attitude I expected from Ben Folds Five. I was singing along with them in my car for a few weeks. My favorite song is “Michael Praytor, Five Years Later,” mostly because of the cool vocals and quick tempo. The harmonies give the song a very cool sound, and the lyrics tell an interesting story. I also like the title track, “Sound of the Life of the Mind,” although the lyrics are pretty strange for this one. I recently learned that the lyrics were actually from a Nick Hornby short story, so it makes a lot more sense now. The slower tracks, like “Hold That Thought” and “Away When You Were Here” didn’t really do it for me, and I usually skipped them. It was weird to hear so many slower songs on a Ben Folds Five album.
The lyrics/songwriting were kind of confusing for me. Folds writes about a divorce ending badly (Yours ended years ago, cmon dude), some girl who wants to stay in school (Ben, you passed that age a long time ago), and drawing dicks on the wall (one of the top lyrics of his work…). I just didn’t understand why they were singing about these things, and maybe I was hoping they’d be a little more mature these days. After I read more about the album, I realized that these were all fictional stories they created, which reminded me that Ben Folds Five did that on their old albums as well.
So, taken for what these songs are, I enjoyed listening to some of the tracks, and Ben Folds can still play piano and compose amazingly. It was also cool to hear the contributions of Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge, which really stuck out on some tracks. If you’re a big Ben Folds fan, I would recommend checking this album out, but if you’re a casual listener, I’m not sure if this one will pull you in.
In other news, last time Pat and I got together, we recorded a few tracks as we were jamming. These songs are ready to go with a release date of October 23rd. Another post with more info will be coming soon!
Eric