Ben Folds Five-The Sound of the Life of the Mind

Ben Folds Five reunites to great results

Ben Folds Five have reunited for their first new album in over thirteen years and I have to say it lives up to the hype.  For those of you wondering what the difference is between this and Folds’s solo stuff, the most obvious difference is in the instrumentation. The production is more upbeat and lavish than most of Folds’s solo work, with the piano sounding more upbeat with an almost ragtime feel in some of the songs. Another highlight is the witty lyrics which are always present in Folds’s work. An interesting side note about the lyrics, the title track was written by Nick Hornby who most know as the author of High Fidelity. This album is recommended for people who are fans of piano rock.

REC: 4, 2, 5, 8
FCC: 1, 6
Label: Sony
Release Date: September 18, 2012

Jake Waters reviewed this album on Sept. 30, 2012