Often underrated

Among Ben Kweller's first three albums, this often gets passed over as a poppy but slightly lacking disc. However, I think there is a lot more to this CD than people give it credit for. Standout tracks such as the harmonica-driven "Hear Me Out" and the rollicking "The Rules" are both accessable and impressive. My personal favorite is the title track, touching and heartfelt, as it brings into focus the best part of any Ben Kweller CD, which is Ben Kweller himself. This is a very enjoyable disc, and makes anyone who listens to it feel instantly closer to the man who wrote it.

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