Rockin’ The Suburbs

Ben Folds. Sad songs put to happy music. Well perhaps the music isn’t really supposed to be happy, but there’s something about hearing someone play the shit out of a piano the way the Ben does that puts a smile on my face.

I’d quote a line or two from “Zak and Sara” or “Fred Jones Part 2” here to show the intensity of his lyrics, but it wouldn’t do them justice. Ben writes stories, like great folk singers do, not collections of one liners thrown together the way “top 40” artists seem to.

Not to say that this album is all mind-blowingly profound — this is strictly a meat-and-potatoes helping of music. Coming from me, a man who considers meatloaf and mashed potatoes to be haute cuisine, this is high praise.

Recommeded to me by David Williamson.