Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ben Kweller, 12 Nov 2006
This new album from Ben Kweller is noticably different to his previous outings in the style of production - it's all a lot more polished and has lost the rough edge of Sha Sha and On My Way. In some ways, this is a negative thing - the quirky, geeky charm that makes Ben Kweller so lovable is pretty much completely lost here, and you won't find references to Planet of the Apes and girls who find sex reminds them of eating spaghetti cropping up in the middle of songs. Die-hard Kweller fans may find some of this new CD a little hard to stomach at times (This Is War almost makes me cringe), but in spite of this, it's undeniable that nearly every song is of a very high quality. It's super-accessible and although clearly a lot more commercially minded, songs like Run, Sundress, I Don't Know Why and especially the magical Thirteen rank along the best things he's ever written.
Basically:
If you're already a fan of Ben Kweller, this is definitely worth investing in. You probably won't love it like you love his other albums but it'll still bring you happiness and as long as you can tolerate the added sheen, you'll definitely enjoy these songs.
If you're a new fan and you're simply investigating Kweller this is actually a really good place to start as all of the songs are really simple and easy to get into, but just make sure you take the time out to investigate his other works - it would be such an injustice if you didn't.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BK is back!!, 30 Aug 2006
Ben Kweller is back, and back with the album of the year. Since his first album, 'Sha Sha' was released in 2002 I have never liked an album more..until now. After wavering a bit with 'On My Way' I was praying that this, his 3rd album (self titled due to the fact that he plays every instrument) would be back to his geekrock/pop ballad styles of old, and whilst it has a very different feel about it (a lot more piano is used, which is an extremely good thing!) it really is a fantastic album that will cheer you up from any state of depression. The soaring chorus' and ultra catchy riffs and beats will im sure, put BK on the map in the UK.
Whilst every song is pure class on this album everyone has their favourites, and if i had to pick some to play to a complete BK novice id choose the bittersweet lovesong of "Sundress", and the ultimate 'happy songs' of "Penny On The Train Track" and "Magic". These last two will have you cranking your stereo up to the max and dancing around the room like some sort of mental case who's just found out they've won the lottery.
Ok, so no album's perfect (apart from 'Sha Sha') and if there HAD to be one criticism of 'Ben Kweller' then it would be too much of a good thing: the reason why 'Sha Sha' is my favourite album of all time is that there is such a diverse mix of sounds, going from rock, to pop, to acoustic, to paino ballads and back again. the two piano masterpieces of "In Other Words" and "Falling" are real gems and I would have loved a whole album of that style of BK, and now that ive got it, i would quite like a bit of a mix again! Songs such as "I Don't Know Why" and "This Is War" do offer that but I still would like a couple more, maybe some acoustic numbers. However, I am certainly NOT complaining, waiting 4 years for the my second favourite album of all time is plenty! I cannot recomend this album highly enough, its albsolutly brilliant, a must-buy for anyone that likes Indie, Rock, Pop, Singer/songwriters (if you like Ben Folds, Jason Mraz, Ben Lee, Brendan Benson, Andrew Bird, John Mayer, Pete Yorn, Jack Johnson, Bernard Fanning etc etc you will love this)...basically anyone that likes music!
So I think i've gushed enough about 'Ben Kweller'..judge it for yourselves - buy it, listen to it, fall in love with it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Ben Kweller, 7 Jun 2007
Ben Kweller's eponymous third album is another dynamic effort from one of today's best songwriters. Kweller's talent as a performer shines on this album, as he performs all of the instruments, from the guitar solos down to the hand claps. As a songwriter, Ben Kweller shows development and maturity, while retaining the enthusiasm and optimism that makes his music instantly loveable. While Kweller's talent as a songwriter shines throughout the album, songs such as `Thirteen' and `Sundress' can be almost painfully beautiful. Other stand outs include the irrepressibly catchy `Penny On The Train Track' and `Run,'demonstrating a gift for melody hard to match. Overall, Ben Kweller is an great album demonstrating the talent of its namesake, and worthy of a listen or six.
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