Album Review: Ben Folds - So There
By Daniel Marco, Contributor [New West; 2015] Rating: 3.5/5
Key Tracks: “Yes Man,” “So There,” “I’m Not the Man”
Ever since Ben Folds started making music 20 years ago with the critically acclaimed Ben Folds Five, he’s always had one trait that keeps people coming back--he’s extremely easy on the ears. So There, the combined project of Folds and classical New York City sextet yMusic, is an album that features eight short pop songs and also features a half-hour classical music concerto performed by Folds and the Nashville Symphony.
The combination of classical instruments with Folds’ catchy singing and lush piano chords works well. The more up-tempo songs such as “Phone in a Pool,” “Long Way to Go” and “Capable of Anything” sound like something you might find off a ‘70s ELO record, filled with cotton candy lyrics and swelling chord changes. The album is truly at its best when Folds decides to slow it down a bit on tracks like “Yes Man,” “I’m Not the Man” and “So There,” letting the stellar classical musicians take front stage.
Unfortunately, the 30-minute concerto featured in the second half of the album doesn’t fair as well. Without Folds’ voice to guide it, this side exchanges the lighter tone of the first half for a much darker and brooding one, which at times feels compelling and mysterious but more often falls flat and can be skipped.
Although it may not be the most exciting music to listen to, So There has a very comfortable feel to it, as if Folds is inviting us to go with him on a walk through the park. The album is undeniably catchy as hell, and even those who dislike Folds’ music would have the harmonies and chord changes running through their head for days on end.
