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Avg: 3.5 (192 ratings)
- Date Released: February 3, 2009
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: ATO Records
Ben Kweller puts on his Gram Parsons nudie-suit and gets his Sweetheart of the Rodeo on
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We Say...
The Republic of Texas has long prided itself on its all-American autonomy: Texans have their own way of barbecuing beef, a unique sense of perspective (bigger is always best), and a rich country-music legacy, ruled by outlaws and rebels. Ben Kweller may be a Brooklyn resident now, but he spent a good chunk of his boyhood in Texas. For Changing Horses, his fourth solo LP, he not only returned to Texas to record, he also embraced his home state's cowboy twang.
Kweller's best known for his goofy, plaintively-sung pop songs; in 2003, when he teamed up with Ben Folds and Ben Lee for the Bens, it felt like he had finally seized his predestined slot in the indie-pop canon. Changing Horses is a marked adjustment for Kweller, but it's not wholly unprecedented (you can hear hints of Kweller's country-leanings on "Family Tree," from 2002's Sha Sha), nor does it feel like a put-on — Kweller's always had an undeniable knack for melody, and he's an effortless and unfussy singer, with a voice well-suited to country music's soft yawns and swells. Tracks like the swinging "Fight" — with its pedal steel, guitar curlicues, piano solos and vocal harmonies – recalls both Waylon Jennings and Gram Parsons, while "Things I Like to Do" combines Kweller's impish charm ("I like talking at the diner instead of screaming in the noisy bar") with country's gleeful jingle-jangle. The genre fits — just like a rhinestone plastered Nudie suit, or a worn-in red bandana. -
They 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.
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| 01. |  |
Gypsy Rose |
4:56 |
|
| 02. | |
Old Hat |
4:12 |
|
| 03. | |
Fight |
2:54 |
|
| 04. | |
Hurtin' You |
2:45 |
|
| 05. | |
Ballad Of Wendy Baker |
3:58 |
|
| 06. | |
Sawdust Man |
4:12 |
|
| 07. | |
Wantin' Her Again |
2:42 |
|
| 08. | |
Things I Like To Do |
2:09 |
|
| 09. | |
On Her Own |
4:01 |
|
| 10. | |
Homeward Bound |
3:50 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 35:39 Total Length
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Credits
- Fred Kavorkian - Mastering // Riley Osbourne - Piano // Fred Remmert - Percussion // Steve Mazur - Handclapping // Steve Mazur - Engineer // Steve Mazur - Mixing // Josh Lattanzi - Bass // Josh Lattanzi - Vocals (Background) // The Pierces - Vocals (Background) // Greg Combs - Guitar (Electric) // Ben Kweller - Guitar // Ben Kweller - Percussion // Ben Kweller - Piano // Ben Kweller - Arranger // Ben Kweller - Drums // Ben Kweller - Vocals // Ben Kweller - Handclapping // Ben Kweller - Producer // Ben Kweller - Art Direction // Ben Kweller - Mixing // Chris Morrissey - Bass // Chris Morrissey - Vocals (Background) // Christian Helms - Art Direction // Christian Helms - Package Design // Matthew Colecchi - Assistant Engineer // Kitt Kitterman - Dobro // Kitt Kitterman - Pedal Steel // Rob Niederpruem - Handclapping // Rob Niederpruem - Assistant Engineer // Mark Stepro - Drums // Mark Stepro - Vocals (Background)
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