"like a pop song" (Ben Folds - So There)

Ben Folds
So There

Why you'll love it: Excellent composition, strong songwriting

why you'll hate it: Lacks impact, and diversity

Over the last decade, "Ben Folds': the personality" has become more revered to me than his actual output.  It's been a decade since the guy has put out an album that I really love from top to bottom; and almost double that since the heyday of Ben Folds Five.  Yet I still look forward to new Ben Folds material.  I still make sure to catch when he appears on TV or streams a concert; and it's not because of how good those old songs are.  He is a unique, clever, humble, and oddball personality in pop culture.

The biggest problem with Ben Folds' songwriting over the last ten years has been struggling with connecting to his audience from his position of fame and success.  Ben Folds' career has been not so unlike Rivers Cuomo.  Some nobody misfit manages to become the voice of a culture.  In doing so, he is driven away from that culture, and loses  his muse.  Where their paths diverge is that Folds retained his humility and snark.  In Way To Normal (2010) he stayed true to himself and "wrote what he knew", for better or worse.  It resulted in an honest effort, but the world Ben lives in now is just no longer relatable to that original audience.  When Ben Folds Five reunited, he tried to recapture that misfit charm, and just couldn't relate to that world anymore.

So There pretty much entirely dodges those trappings.  Ben writes about relationships, psychological shortcomings, and humiliating fits of temper that manage to bridge that class/success gap.  The closest-to-home song, "Yes Man" manages to invite the listener into his world by admitting an odd positive to that "nobody misfit" life - it keeps you in check.  It reminds you of what you need to overcome.  "Capable of Anything" is probably the best song on here, because of it's wordplay, and the very relatable subject matter of rejecting phony generic "inspirational catch phrases".

Of course, what makes "Capable of Anything" (and the rest of So There) such a joy to listen to is the orchestral ensemble, yMusic, that subtly accompanies Ben Folds.  He could have piped in the orchestra much louder, and used it as gimmick; and even if it was, it still would have sounded cool.  Instead, yMusic mildly peppers his songs.  Oddly enough, the loudest song on here is the juvenile "F10-D-A".  Ben himself admits it's a dumb joke song, and I like it.  I think it's cute and harmless, but can understand it turning off some people; especially on an album so short.  If you don't count the "Concerto For Piano And Orchestra" three moment piece with the Nashville Symphony that closes the album, you're only dealing with a half hour and only 8 songs of new Ben Folds material.

As a fan of short albums, and considering Ben Folds' past couple offerings, I'm happy that this album concluded before he started to lose focus.  So There has little impact, but the most substance and genuine charm from Ben Folds in ages.  I'd much rather listen to him age gracefully than try to write "Song For The Dumped" yet again.