2008 Woodie Awards
Ben Folds Redefines "Normal"
Patrick Griffin
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: Scene
"Way to Normal" is the title of the latest album produced by the cynical rocker, Ben Folds. Though the title of the album may suggest otherwise, the musician's third full length studio album proves to be far from the norms of pop rock. The album may seem like trademark Ben Folds irony, the North Carolina native would argue that the album is a return to his inspirational roots.
"This new album is really about me being free, which is why it feels cathartic and expressive," Folds said on his official Web site. "It's about me coming back to being myself." "Way to Normal," which hit the stands on Sept. 16th, is expected to be a popular reinvention for a diverse Folds following.
Though Folds' Web site promised "irresistible hooks and piano-pounding pandemonium that listeners haven't been treated to… since his years with Ben Folds Five," "Way to Normal" features few structural differences compared to his previous albums. That isn't to say that the album is a failure. It packs the same sardonic punch that has earned Ben Folds his devout fan base.
The album strongly opens with two crowd pleasers entitled "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)" and "Dr. Yang." The first track is an account of the public humiliation Folds earned after falling off the stage while performing in Japan. Not only did the accident afford the performer medical attention, it also provided the material for one of the album's most memorable tracks when set to the rhythmic pounding of Folds' piano.
"Dr. Yang" similarly drives the listener deliberately toward a final fuzzed and energetic crescendo.
In addition to the signature anthems, Folds births several romanticist ballads that call to mind previous works such as "Brick" and "The Luckiest." Accompanied by a subtle orchestral ambience, Folds ponders both the beginnings and failures of relationships in "Cologne." The song draws a curious reference in citing former astronaut Lisa Nowak who, "put on a diaper and drove 18 hours to kill her boyfriend." Concluding the album with a similar romantic observance, "Kylie from Connecticut," recants the past affair of the long-wedded protagonist Kylie.
"This new album is really about me being free, which is why it feels cathartic and expressive," Folds said on his official Web site. "It's about me coming back to being myself." "Way to Normal," which hit the stands on Sept. 16th, is expected to be a popular reinvention for a diverse Folds following.
Though Folds' Web site promised "irresistible hooks and piano-pounding pandemonium that listeners haven't been treated to… since his years with Ben Folds Five," "Way to Normal" features few structural differences compared to his previous albums. That isn't to say that the album is a failure. It packs the same sardonic punch that has earned Ben Folds his devout fan base.
The album strongly opens with two crowd pleasers entitled "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)" and "Dr. Yang." The first track is an account of the public humiliation Folds earned after falling off the stage while performing in Japan. Not only did the accident afford the performer medical attention, it also provided the material for one of the album's most memorable tracks when set to the rhythmic pounding of Folds' piano.
"Dr. Yang" similarly drives the listener deliberately toward a final fuzzed and energetic crescendo.
In addition to the signature anthems, Folds births several romanticist ballads that call to mind previous works such as "Brick" and "The Luckiest." Accompanied by a subtle orchestral ambience, Folds ponders both the beginnings and failures of relationships in "Cologne." The song draws a curious reference in citing former astronaut Lisa Nowak who, "put on a diaper and drove 18 hours to kill her boyfriend." Concluding the album with a similar romantic observance, "Kylie from Connecticut," recants the past affair of the long-wedded protagonist Kylie.