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Ben Kweller

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Ben Kweller

 
Ben Kweller
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  • We Say...

    Though he ascended to relative stardom early in his life, helming the band Radish at age twelve, Ben Kweller has never fallen prey to the full-on flameout that often follows child stars. After a number of false starts he returns with this self-titled record, his first for the ATO label and the first on which he played every instrument. What's surprising is that the record isn't suffocating or indulgent; instead, Kweller concentrates on songcraft, writing songs rooted firmly in melody. His "Thirteen" is comparable to the Big Star song of the same name, an aching memoir of teenage longing and hopefulness. "Sundress" moves from stark opening to gently chugging chorus while "This is War" is all snarl and sneer. Though he's already crammed two careers into his relatively short life, Ben Kweller still sounds like he's just getting started.

  • They 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.

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