Audio By Carbonatix
Give Ben Folds credit for knowing when a joke was wearing thin: Three albums in, Folds’ indie cabaret act–the oddly billed trio, Ben Folds Five–had run its course. Sure, 1997’s Whatever and Ever Amen went platinum thanks to the omnipresent anti-ballad “Brick,” but 1999’s The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner barely went wood. After touring in support of the album, Folds and fellow Five members, bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee, decided to call it quits. As commercially unsuccessful as Messner was, the album did hint at a change in musical direction for Folds–fewer sophomoric piano jams and more lush orchestration. While the latter-day Elton John has returned with a new sound and a fresh approach, he’s still a smart-ass, still composes on piano and still oozes with warped common-man narratives. However, as a solo artist, he’s not encumbered by his oddly charming but ultimately limiting power trio arrangement.
Rockin’ the Suburbs, Folds’ solo debut (his 1998 side project, the predominantly instrumental Fear of Pop, aside), is certainly related to his previous work; “Zak & Sara” is a classic BF5 tune with boogie piano, fuzz bass and sweet vocal harmonies. (“Carrying Cathy” is maybe the most reminiscent of BF5; it was actually supposed to be on Ben Folds Five’s last album.) The rest of the record is Messner reimagined as a pop album–more accessible; less, you know, weird. At 34, Folds has turned to writing songs more memorable for their substance than their schtick. The obvious exception is the title track, a dead-on skewering of rap-rock poseurs Fred Durst and Kid Rock. Folds in his best B-boy voice, challenges, “Y’all don’t know what it’s like/Being white, middle class and white/It gets me real pissed off, and it makes me want to say/FUCK!” It’s an easy target, but it’s damn sure funny.
