Ben Folds "Way to Normal"

The much anticipated new album from Ben Folds finally hit stores (um, and the Pirate Bay) today. Upon my first listen, I have to admit that I was waiting for that ballad-type song that I've become accustomed to from Folds-- they're always my favorite. But most of this album is quirky, poppy songs, containing both his unique melodies as well as his now trademark, spot-on lyrics.

It wasn't until the second time I listened to the album all the way through that I caught up with a track called "Cologne." This is what I was looking for. It's a great, somewhat melancholy ballad. And the final song on the album, "Kylie from Connecticut" provides a nice companion piece, for those of you who, like me, like to indulge in songs of the the morose, heart breaking nature. That's right, I cry myself to sleep at night. Got a problem?

But I digress...

This in not to say that the rest of the album should be overlooked. His first single, "You Don't Know Me" is incredibly catchy. And the official versions of "Brainwascht" , "Dr. Yang", "Free Coffee" and "The Bitch went Nuts" are good-- though in my opinion none quite stack up to their bogus, leaked versions. I would suggest that you purchase this record, but also seek out the "leaked" versions of these songs for a more complete version of the album. (Read more about about that here.)

All in all, the album is really great. It's probably not going not be considered his masterpiece, especially coming after his previous two albums, "Rockin' the Suburbs" and "Songs for Silverman", both of which were absolutely amazing. It is, however, a terrific album and most definitely a must have for anyone who fancies themselves a fan of Ben Folds.

Score: 4 out of 5 

Below: Ben Folds - "Cologne"