The most remarkable thing about the music of Ben Folds is the same now as it has been throughout the years, with or without the 'Five'...it's not the singing, which is unusually compelling...it's not the fact that at the heart of every song lies the most unlikely of instruments, the piano...it's the storytelling. The songs aren't so much songs as they are more along the lines of allegorical tales of life and all that it has to offer...there's tragedy, there's heartbreak, there's triumph, there's love, there's letdown...put simply, there's a whole lot of life contained within the 12 tracks on this album. The little town that is comprised of all the people Mr. Folds has written about is not borne out of anonymity...there are names hung on each and every subject, and they all have weaknesses, they all have strengths.

Listening to a Ben Folds album is like listening to a collection of short stories all crammed into one 50 minute sitting. It's enough to make one wonder why his music isn't loved and embraced by millions, why it is that his supporting tour is being put on in clubs instead of stadiums, why it is that 'Brick' has been his biggest commercial success to date...and sadly, the answer to these questions lies not in the stories, but more in how they are told...the voice is perceived as being 'whiny', and the piano is termed as 'weird'...so, the king of un-cool remains as such, and that's just fine with he and his fans.

Long opening diatribe aside, this isn't the Ben Folds of old. For one, 'Five' is no longer affixed at then end of his name - a spilt that was amicable and well timed, following the release of the wonderful Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. For another, there's a lot more than piano, upright bass and drums on Rockin' The Suburbs, which is referenced by Mr. Folds in the albums title track with the line 'take the check and face the facts that some producer with computers fixes all my shitty tracks'. You'll find guitars, drum loops, synthesizers, and keyboards, oh my. Nope...not at all like the stuff of old...but then, it really is. Despite all the pretty effects and neat noises, the album still feels like an old pair of sneakers and a well-worn-in pair of jeans. The tracks are unmistakably Ben Folds. And on the bright side, not ever song has been 'added to', as a good many of them feature nothing more than good, old human instrumentation. This album is a perfect example of making progress without compromising any of the original ideas.

The album kicks off with one of the better songs, 'Annie Waits', a song of sorrowful letdown set to something of an up tempo beat...a combination that has proven to be successful for Folds in the past. There are subtle synthesizer effects on the track, indicating that the rules have indeed changed, but they do nothing to detract from the feel, nor do they really add to it...they're just kind of, there. 'Still Fighting It' is the most striking example of how things used to be done...piano, drums, bass, nothing more, nothing less...it's also one of the sweetest, most honest tracks on the album with it's message of 'yeah, growing up is a real bitch, but it's still necessary and oddly beautiful no matter how hard it gets'. Another somber slow one that will really grab at your sympathy chords is 'Fred Jones (part 2)'. It's a little more bare as far as instrumentation goes, using only the piano and a cello to get things handled, but that's appropriate given the subject of the song, which tells of a man who has reached the age of retirement and is shuffled out of his job without so much as a party to send him on his way. Going back to the upbeat, broken hearts vein, you've got 'Gone' which goes over the inordinately difficult process of saying goodbye to someone who no longer reciprocates your feelings for them...yeah, I'm sure that'll find it's way onto a mix tape or two before all is said and done (because I can relate, you see...all too well). The Ascent Of Stan is quite possibly the most captivating of all the tracks on Rockin' The Suburbs...the gentle sweeping nature of the verses giving way to a heavier, more frenetic chorus. This tale of a broken man who went from being an idealist (i.e.: 'textbook hippie man') to part of the system he once fought against is at once beautifully tragic, all the while remaining honest about this being something we all have to face in some form or another. The title track is the real gem of the album, though. Replete with an utterly repeatable chorus and constant lamentations of being 'male, middle class and white' and how it's a real 'bitch'...a sentiment that could either be a truism or a sarcastic barb. Loud, lush, funny (the video is even more over-the-top than the song is...definitely worth checking out MTV to see at least once), and utterly rockin', which is the real punch line...after all, Ben Folds and his music have epitomized the genre of 'uncool, anti-rock' rock since the mid-90's...pianos can't rock, remember?

All in all, this album does exactly what I didn't think it would be able to do...it has replaced Whatever and Ever, Amen as being the crowning achievement, to date, of Ben Folds' musical career (and no, I don't count the Shatner period as an achievement). It's not the best indie-pop album of the year, but it definitely hits the top 10.

Next up for me, any one of the following: The Beta Band, The Living End, The Weakerthans, Rocking Horse Winner, JJ72, Muse or a total hindsight review of some Neutral Milk Hotel album...suggestions? Drop me an email. I'll also be back with this news of the week on Friday after a two week layoff (ISP problems...'nuff said), so don't forget to check that out.