knownish

Really a conflicting album. What sticks really sticks, but what doesn't falls flat in a really unsatisfying way.

I've always been a "write lyrics that fit the melody" kind of guy, but this album is the complete opposite of that. It works sometimes, but there are quite a few times where it feels like Ben is trying to cram words (that often don't rhyme or have lyricality to them) into his otherwise genius melodies.

However, some really amazing tracks can be found on ... read more

For me, this is the gold standard of Ben Folds. It showcases so much of his different ranges of songwriting, and never gets stale or same-ey.

His signature character songs really shine, and the melodies are some of his best. The album goes from playful and energetic (Zak and Sara, Rockin the Suburbs) to heart wrenching (Carrying Cathy, Fred Jones Pt 2), and doesn't skip a beat.

Carrying Cathy is an especially great song, an amazing song with an extraordinary bridge and a heartbreaking ... read more

Quite boring with moments that almost shine, then back down. One of their weakest efforts.

Unfortunately much weaker than it should be.

It feels super rushed in many sections, as if given more time, the songs would have felt more fleshed out. A lot of interesting songwriting ideas that really don't get explored enough.

Now it is still a pretty enjoyable listen, but I'd take the band's previous two albums any day before this. Some songs like Utz and Murder Sounds (especially the latter, really nicely done) stand out, but the exploration of songwriting is missing.

I ... read more