Kweller returns to simplicity
By Dave Marucheau, Staff Writer.
Posted September 29, 2006.
Through little snapshots that hang between the suspended chords of his music, Ben Kweller captures the disembodied emotion that we all feel but cannot express. He inexplicitly paints a picture without really saying anything at all, and he says it all at the right time.
Ben Kweller’s self-titled album has swimming piano strokes and a voice that feels refreshingly real amidst a barrage of lyrical stories. The depth and simplicity of this album is stunning. There are no exuberant gimmicks, no protruding elements to any of the songs — just pure, simple eloquence in classic Kweller fashion that conducts together in fluent congregation.
The album cover is a fitting tribute to the music inside: A vaguely overexposed portrait of Ben projected against a blank beige wall emerges from a haze of light that ripples out to the border, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. His music ripples from the core and spills onto his listener’s ears in its raw authenticity and beautiful simplicity.
Following in the legacy of his album Sha Sha, he returns to writing songs that are captivating and inviting. “Red Eye” has a haunting elegance that maintains its fragility amidst a strain of desperation encapsulated in Kweller’s voice. But this isn’t just an album about love-sick boys pining over lost girlfriends and awkward ambitions. It is a solely sophisticated Ben Kweller who takes the music where he wants and allows himself to become lost in his music as he takes you along.
“I Gotta Move” is reminiscent of “Wasted and Ready” from Sha Sha with its jam session type slacker-rock vigor that takes hold of you.
I dare you not to be nodding your head or humming the refrain when you’re strolling with your iPod in tow. Go on. I dare you.
“Thirteen” is one of the best songs on the whole album. It dances through a collage of images that are so relatable and real that it feels like a confessional of the human spirit.
The words are so beautifully sculpted that it reads like a poem.
With just the resonating key strikes of the piano and Kweller’s voice, it doesn’t need anything technical or complicated. It speaks to something that everyone can grab hold of and sink into.
“Run” is just plain awesome in true Kweller format. It has conviction and bouncing enthusiasm.
He never ceases to impress with this album, and it is a tribute to his ability to grow as a musician and a songwriter.
Kweller is a fresh breath of life into a genre of rock that is becoming saturated with “American Idol” market schemes and Frankenstein assembled face-bands.
If Kweller still makes you wanna “sha sha” every time you hear “Walk on Me,” then feel free to “sha sha” again with this absolute must-buy.
If you have never heard Kweller’s music before, then I invite you to get lost breathing in his deep frothy sounds and be inspired to never exhale again.
Posted September 29, 2006.
Through little snapshots that hang between the suspended chords of his music, Ben Kweller captures the disembodied emotion that we all feel but cannot express. He inexplicitly paints a picture without really saying anything at all, and he says it all at the right time.
Ben Kweller’s self-titled album has swimming piano strokes and a voice that feels refreshingly real amidst a barrage of lyrical stories. The depth and simplicity of this album is stunning. There are no exuberant gimmicks, no protruding elements to any of the songs — just pure, simple eloquence in classic Kweller fashion that conducts together in fluent congregation.
The album cover is a fitting tribute to the music inside: A vaguely overexposed portrait of Ben projected against a blank beige wall emerges from a haze of light that ripples out to the border, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. His music ripples from the core and spills onto his listener’s ears in its raw authenticity and beautiful simplicity.
Following in the legacy of his album Sha Sha, he returns to writing songs that are captivating and inviting. “Red Eye” has a haunting elegance that maintains its fragility amidst a strain of desperation encapsulated in Kweller’s voice. But this isn’t just an album about love-sick boys pining over lost girlfriends and awkward ambitions. It is a solely sophisticated Ben Kweller who takes the music where he wants and allows himself to become lost in his music as he takes you along.
“I Gotta Move” is reminiscent of “Wasted and Ready” from Sha Sha with its jam session type slacker-rock vigor that takes hold of you.
I dare you not to be nodding your head or humming the refrain when you’re strolling with your iPod in tow. Go on. I dare you.
“Thirteen” is one of the best songs on the whole album. It dances through a collage of images that are so relatable and real that it feels like a confessional of the human spirit.
The words are so beautifully sculpted that it reads like a poem.
With just the resonating key strikes of the piano and Kweller’s voice, it doesn’t need anything technical or complicated. It speaks to something that everyone can grab hold of and sink into.
“Run” is just plain awesome in true Kweller format. It has conviction and bouncing enthusiasm.
He never ceases to impress with this album, and it is a tribute to his ability to grow as a musician and a songwriter.
Kweller is a fresh breath of life into a genre of rock that is becoming saturated with “American Idol” market schemes and Frankenstein assembled face-bands.
If Kweller still makes you wanna “sha sha” every time you hear “Walk on Me,” then feel free to “sha sha” again with this absolute must-buy.
If you have never heard Kweller’s music before, then I invite you to get lost breathing in his deep frothy sounds and be inspired to never exhale again.
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