THE SOUND OF THE LIFE OF THE MIND
Someday maybe someone will explain to me why Ben Folds Five only has three members. I would have thought that after a thirteen-year hiatus the band would have found those two prodigal sons.
But the North Carolina based piano-based, indie-rock trio are back with a new album after more than a decade, and this fourth record fits neatly into the combined "Five" and solo catalogue very nicely, with songwriting that is a natural evolution from the most recent solo record and a sound that picks up right where the third album left off.
Folds has always been the main songwriter, arranger, lyricist, and producer of the "Five"'s records, so it's no surprise that the songwriting on this album feels very much in the vein of his last solo record.
What bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jesse really bring to the table is a rough, powerful energy that brings a certain edge to Folds' songwriting.
The songs on this album are deep, from the lyrics to the arrangements. There's a certain charm to the less developed ideas that songwriters are willing to put on their records in their early years, and The Sound of the Life of the Mind is far more polished than those earlier efforts, rarely letting loose and going elbows-to-keys on the piano.
This is no longer a trio in their 20's, and while the album would have benefitted from more high-tempo songs, the album reflects the band a decade older rather than a repeat their first record for the sake of nostalgia and records sales.
All in all, well worth checking out!
ERASE ME
THANK YOU FOR BREAKING MY HEART
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