Ben Kweller Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
After flirting with country music throughout his solo career, Ben Kweller embraces his Texas roots with Changing Horses, an earthy record filled with pedal steel guitars and honky tonk storytelling. Kweller's southern pedigree has always made itself known -- in the twang of his acoustic guitar, in the lilt of his voice -- but Changing Horses shines a spotlight on those nuances, replacing the heartland rock & roll of his past albums with a healthy dose of Americana. This is saloon-styled songwriting, complete with flashes of close harmony and images of Greyhound stations, starry skies, and homebound highways. Kweller sounds confident throughout, playing the rustic raconteur like a twentysomething Leon Russell, but the album's secret weapon is newcomer Kitt Kitterman, whose pedal steel riffs and Dobro arpeggios lend some authenticity to Kweller's southern state of mind. Nowhere is that mentality clearer than in the barroom gospel of "Fight," a three-minute credo of carpe diem ethics and multi-part harmonies. Meanwhile, "Sawdust Man" strikes a balance between bouncing Beatles-styled pop and loose, half-drunk folk-rock, while "Things I Like to Do" spins a simple love song narrative with relaxed wit. For those perennial fans who always wished Kweller had turned songs like "Lizzy" into swampy Nashville ballads, Changing Horses marks a defining moment in the songwriter's career, offering up a batch of pastiche-free country music that, like Ryan Adams' Jacksonville City Nights, may be a promising sign of what's to come. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On his third, self-titled effort, Ben Kweller takes the notion of "solo album" to the extreme, playing all of the instruments himself. For many artists, this would result in an album that's quiet and insular. However, Ben Kweller is nearly as immediate and direct as Sha Sha and On My Way were, but with a little more focus. Kweller's eternally boyish voice is perfectly suited to his tales of young love, hanging out and heartache, whether he frames them in giddy, impatient pop like "Run," earnest tone-poems like "Thirteen," or a sound somewhere between the two, as on the single "Summer Dress." To his credit, though, Kweller sounds a little more mature on several songs, particularly "Penny on the Train Track" and "Red Eye," which asks the surprisingly direct question, "How long will it take before I have your heart to break?" Equally divided between thoughtful ballads such as "Until I Die" and half good-natured, chugging power pop like "Gotta Move" and "Magic" -- with the occasional feisty rocker like "This Is War" thrown in for good measure -- Ben Kweller treads the same path as Kweller's other work, but fortunately, it still sounds genuine, not formulaic. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A smaller, simpler affair than his breakout album, Sha Sha, Ben Kweller's On My Way strips away the polished alt-rock production and emphasizes the singer/songwriter side of his music. There's nothing here as immediately infectious as the Sha Sha singles "Wasted and Ready" and "Commerce TX" were, and overall it's a more subdued album. However, this somewhat more mature approach is contrasted and balanced by Kweller's voice, which still sounds charmingly, vulnerably adolescent as he ventures further into his twenties. While there are still quite a few rock songs on the album, not all of them work; for every track like the stomping "The Rules," which is the closest Kweller gets to an angry young man stance, there's an "Ann Disaster," which has a fun start-stop structure but isn't especially distinctive otherwise. On My Way's slower songs fare better, particularly "Living Life" and "Different But the Same," both of which tap into Kweller's not-so-secret admiration for piano men like Elton John and, to a lesser extent, Billy Joel. Best of all, though, are On My Way's power pop-influenced songs, which are urgent, plaintive, and funny at the same time. "Need You Back" makes the most of the endearing cracks in Kweller's voice as well as his way with jangly guitars; "Down" comes the closest to Sha Sha's instant-gratification pop; and the bittersweet "Hear Me Out" is not only one of the best songs on the album, it's one of Kweller's best songs, period. Despite some slightly draggy moments, On My Way is still another solid effort. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Enthusiasm is what singer/songwriter Ben Kweller brings to his work. Ramones-like perennial goofy-teenager attitude and lack of antipathy are his golden attributes, and the combination of his keen songwriting sense makes Kweller a pop powerhouse. Following his self-released demo, Freak Out It's Ben Kweller, and the following EP, Kweller spreads out with more pop songs and sounds on this full-length studio album. Underscoring the songwriting skill he's been working at since age eight, he plays acoustic, folk-rock, alternative, power pop, and straight-ahead rock of the course of 11 songs. His lyrics are consistently heart-sung, but they aren't lite -- he's got weight and bite, too. Kweller isn't afraid to wear his top-drawer influences on his sleeve, either: "No Reason" soars on guitar like a Weezer or Frank Black tune, and he sings "noooooo reason to cry" with the same vehemence with which Johnny Rotten once sang "nooooo future." "Commerce, TX" smells like grunge rock, but its commentary on the slacker lifestyle keeps it self-aware. He recuts his epic "In Other Words," a winding, melancholic piano rocker with a jam that is straight off a '70s vintage Elton John record. "Walk on Me" and "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)," though power pop through and through, are pure Kweller -- bright, witty, fun, sweet diaries of hard-to-grapple-with feelings translated into two-to-three-minute bursts of self-empowered joy. Isn't that how all rock & roll should be? ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide
