Ben Folds – So There
4.5/5
Collaborations are one of Ben Folds’ defining strengths. The North Carolina/Tennessee musician has worked with the likes of Nick Hornby, Amanda Palmer, Damian Kulash (of Ok Go), and even William Shatner. When the music world discovered the ‘90s-‘00s alternative singer-songwriter was releasing another collaboration effort, the announcement was not overly surprising. This time teaming up with New York classical sextet yMusic, Folds’ latest album So There combines his familiar marriage between piano and voice with the cinematic and layered density of a classical arrangement.
(Photo courtesy of Webster Media)
His transparent storytelling and melancholy song writing has become an iconic part of his music career. Previous hits “Bricks”, “Rockin’ the Suburbs”, and “You Don’t Know Me” are easy bookmarks in his musical career, and on So There, that nostalgic attitude and composition make their way through the music – especially now backed by violins, cellos, and flutes. Opening track “Capable of Anything” exposes that charming, passive-aggressive vocal style of Folds, resulting in a track reminiscent of early Folds-work, but with a sharp twist. Lead single “Phone in the Pool” is most comparable, as Folds retells the time he literally dropped his phone in a pool, and Ke$ha rescued it (listen closely).
Although his pop music style is upbeat, it is simultaneously gloomy, almost as if there is a dark cloud overhead blocking the view of the sunny day. “Capable of Anything” and the ex-lover inspired “Not a Fan” are…sad. The gentle waltz of the piano and the gorgeous violin arrangement on “Not a Fan” provide a deep and dramatic backdrop for his personal, love-letter lyrics: “I understand if there is something that moves you / that’s not my cup of tea / it’s part of what makes you beautiful to me. Cute, perhaps even heart-warming, but also gut wrenching and destructive: “I may or may not be here when you return…so fuck you”. Title track “So There” opens with a jangly piano-pop melody, but eventually takes a minor-chord turn midway as per expected.
At the same time, So There should not be taken as a depressing album. Folds’ playful piano melodies provide the necessary contrast for a series of enjoyable compositions. “Long Way to Go”, and most notably “F10-D-A”. “F’ed in the A with a D…a big fat D”. Even Folds has a difficult time maintaining a straight face with his giggles seeping through the oddly catchy chord combination.
After the eight pop tracks close with the regretful “I’m Not the Man”, Folds welcomes the second movement of his album with the three-part “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” which features the Nashville Symphony. At face value, Ben Folds is known as a piano pop singer-songwriter, but since the age of ten, Folds has been connected to classical music and orchestras, alas it was a welcomed surprise for the final 20 minutes when the musician put together a stunning Gershwin-inspired concerto. As said during an interview with The Guardian:
“I expect to probably meet the same fate from anyone who didn’t read Gershwin’s opening statement,” he says. “I’ve been told by guys who’ve tried and feel very chewed up and spit out by it that I should expect to get my ass kicked. But I don’t really care. I would like it if people approved of me but I’ve been through the mill with all of it. I just like making music for human beings and what I’m trying to put out there is not saying, ‘Please accept me into your classical music world.’ It’s just a record. I just want to leave a litter of music that I’m proud of when I get hit by a Mack Truck at 85 years old.”
Regular and deluxe orders for the album are available through his website, and you can catch him on tour this winter.
Sept 12 – NASHVILLE, TN @ Live On The Green (w/ yMusic)
Sept 14 – SEATTLE, WA @ The Moore (w/ yMusic)
Sept 15 – PORTLAND, OR @ Roseland Theater (w/ yMusic)
Sept 16 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ The Warfield (w/ yMusic)
Oct 1 – AUGUSTA, GA @ Westobou Festival (w/ Symphony Orchestra Augusta)
Oct 30 – MIAMI, FL @ UM Maurice Gusman Concert Hall (w/ Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra)
Dec 4 – WASHINGTON, DC @ Kennedy Center (w/ National Symphony)
Dec 8 – WINSTON-SALEM, NC @ Lawrence Joel Coliseum (w/ Piedmont Wind Symphony)
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