Album Essentials: Ben Folds Five
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
Ben Folds Five Make Their Debut LP Back In 1995
29 years ago, during that post-Alt Rock hangover, there seemed to be room for just about any style of music, from the angst soaked leftovers and hip hop mongers, to disposable pop music and the imminent rise of Britpop. So then, why not a modern day piano man with songwriting chops, style, and a melodic sensibility? Come on in Ben Folds, the water's fine!
Hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ben Folds Five was a lie! They were actually a trio, but Folds liked the way 'five' sounded better, so, why not confuse everyone. Joined by Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee, their style may have glanced back to a singer songwriter ethic of the early 1970s, but was firmly planted in the mid-90s. Armed with a stash of catchy songs and lively production, courtesy of Caleb Sothern, the Ben Folds Five proved a welcome addition to the musical landscape at the time.
In an era where loud guitars set the standard so often, Folds was not only the piano player, but the band leader, instantly setting a different template away from the Soungarden/Alice In Chains axis. 'Philosophy,' 'Underground,' and 'Uncle Walter,' all released as singles, grabbed the attention of listeners with their melodic hooks and clever lyrics. 'Underground' pokes fun at the hipsterism of the era with references to 'nose rings' and 'mosh pits.'
"It's a minefield of dead ends," Folds said about songwriting. "I write something that ‘feels’ right, syllables, rhymes, a happy sound over an unhappy lyric. You maneuver yourself around and you get caught in the maze of 'how do I make this feel right?' And then I throw it out there to other people and they can feel what they want to."
Traces of Todd Rundgren, the Kinks, and Elton John can be heard throughout, but the album never comes off as retro, and 29 years on, maintains a freshness about it. Part of his secret here is that, many of his songs are deceptively simple, giving them a lasting flavor. “Songs can do so many things,” said Folds. “They can literally tell a story, or they can very abstractly tell a story.”
So this is where it all started for Folds and Co,. and if anything, it sounds better three decades on.