CD of The Week

Beloved trio Ben Folds Five split over a decade ago, but under friendly circumstances, as the band was burnt out after years on the road together. As we know, Folds went on to have a successful and diverse solo career while bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee stayed busy with their own musical careers. In 2008, the Five reunited for a one-off charity performance; then last year recorded three songs for a retrospective of Folds’ career. So it came as no surprise that this gradual reunion led to their first new album in 13 years: The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind.

Right off the bat, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind shows off the unique musical chemistry that these three musicians have together. No one else sounds like the Five playing together, with Folds’ recognizable piano skills, Sledge’s trademark fuzz bass and their three voices in harmony once again. Album opener “Erase Me” lyrically fits in with the bitter breakup songs of Folds’ 2008 solo album Way To Normal. “Michael Praytor, 5 Yrs Later” continues Ben’s career of musical peeks into characters’ lives. The epic title track was co-written with author Nick Hornby, using lyrics originally penned for his Lonely Avenue collaboration with Folds and is one of the best examples on the album of the guys’ harmonies, with all three voices impressively playing off each other. The inspirational, rollicking single “Do It Anyway” is another high point, with Folds urging listeners to go outside their comfort zone in life.

Almost every song on the record clocks in over four minutes and is dense with musical ideas. That’s not a bad thing, though the new songs just are not as poppy as much of their previous work. However, The Sound Of The Life… proves that there truly is nothing else that compares to these three musicians playing together once more, but this time with a newfound maturity and complexity. Ben Folds Five return for their first show in Philadelphia since the spring of 2000 (co-headlining with The Roots at U-Penn! I was there!) at the Tower Theateron October 7th.