Ben Folds Five - The Sounds Of The Life Of The Mind

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Ben Folds Five – TheSounds Of The Life Of The Mind
2012, SONY MusicBen Folds Five are back, thanks to the love, affection andfinancial contributions of their fans! The band undertook a fan funding effort earlier this year to keep theproject independent, and have managed to create a wonderfully subtle andcomplete collection of ten pop/rock songs entitled The Sounds Of The Life Of The Mind.

The album kicks off with Folds at his emotionally disaffected best on"Erase Me". A bit removed from the angrier songs if his youth,"Erase Me" finds Folds mining a mix of anger, heartache and knowingresignation as he confronts his co-pilot in a downward arcing relationship."Michael Praytor, Five Years Later" finds BFF rocking out in classicfashion in interludes between Folds' classic storyteller verses. Folds getscontemplative on "Sky High", one of the pat aesthetically andlyrically pleasing compositions he has recorded to date.

Folds has always had a distinctive for capturing people and places in song inways that bring them to life for the listener, but he outdoes himself on"The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind". This portrait of a young ladywho escapes from the banality of her high school life through intellectualpursuits is surprisingly adept. Folds ability to tell her story both fromwithin her thoughts and in the third person simultaneously is masterful.Likewise "On Being Frank", which a melancholy look at Sinatra'slegacy as seen from the eyes of one time fanatic and now disillusioned fan. Thecomposition is fully orchestrated and beautiful, reflecting back the sadness inthe vocal line.

"Draw A Crowd" could be a take on the narcissism of artists who willdo anything for attention. Regardless if your interpretation it's a hilarioustake on the need for attention, wrapped in a wonderfully snappy poparrangement. "Do It Anyway" is a piano-driven rock ballad aboutmaking hard decisions. There is an interesting dichotomy in this song, whichinitially sounds like an ode to immaturity but actually tackles the decision ofwhether to end a relationship from a surprisingly adult perspective.

Hold That Thought is wonderfully melancholy and melodic. The piano drives thisalong with a vibrant if quiet energy, and there is a lonely beauty in themelody that Folds has constructed.  “AwayWhen You Were Here” is a bittersweet reflection on imperfect love and familyties.  Folds is coming to terms with adysfunctional family relationship that is no longer reparable and finds thegood, perhaps for the first time.  Foldsonce again explores this sort of imperfection on “Thank You For Breaking MyHeart”, a gorgeous piano ballad that finds beauty and growth in suffering.  This song is a powerful statement, punctuatedby the occasional use of the piano’s more percussive properties.  It’s a beautiful and poignant close thatmakes beauty out of sadness.

Ben Folds manages to make a classic Ben Folds album with thehelp of his original band mates Ben Folds Five. Maturity and time have smoothed the sound of the trio a bit, but thesongwriting is as incisive and original as ever.  TheSounds Of The Life Of The Mind proves that Ben Folds Five doesn’tsuck.  I should know.  I have my own blog.  (Kudos to those who get it).Rating: 4.5 Stars(Out of 5)

Learn more at www.benfolds.com.