Gregory Douglass - Lucid

Gregory Douglass - Lucid
2011, Emote Records

Gregory Douglass defines the modern concept of an Indie artist. The Burlington, Vermont singer/songwriter releases albums through his own record label, Emote Records. He's also maximized his fan base over eight albums, with fans funding some or all of his last five albums through pre-orders and donations. Douglass' 2008 album, Battler, inspired by a particularly dark season of HBO's Six Feet Under, was a collaborative effort. Douglass worked with Righteous Babe Records' Anais Mitchell and singer extraordinaire Grace Potter to craft an album that resulted in universal acclaim. The album spawned a video for "Hang Around" that charted for six consecutive months on LOGO TV's Click List Top 10 Video Countdown, and appearances with artists such as Jason Mraz, Regina Spektor, Margaret Cho and Melissa Ferrick. Gregory Douglass' latest album, Lucid, is a much more personal affair. Long a fan of dream interpretation, Douglass decided to put his dreams to music. But this time out Douglas worked with Ableton Live, creating electronic layers and depth around his compositions, resulting in his most sonically ambitious work to date.

Lucid opens with "The Night", a dark, dream-like soliloquy that plays like a lullaby for those who cannot rest. It's an intriguing start, simultaneously soothing and subtly disturbing. "Lucid" is a solid album track. This is the first time Douglass really digs into his more electronic sound, and the song is compelling for the choices he makes as he layers sound upon sound. Like most first steps, the song has some rough edges, but Douglass' distinctive ear wins out in the end. "White Out" blends soul, electro and rock in compelling fashion, although there is an overly recursive nature to the tune that asserts itself.

Douglass strips things down a bit for "Naysayer", building on a simple arrangement in subtle fashion. This is the most sonically compelling piece on the album. Listeners will sit and wait for the big breakout that never comes, but Douglas continues to build in small, almost imperceptible detail, fulfilling the social contract of the song but always leaving you wanting a bit more. It's brilliant. Lucid falls into a bit of a rut in the middle, recovering on the intriguing melody of "Raven”. Douglass creates tremendous movement in the melody line, buttressing it with the dark timbres and shading of the stark arrangement. This musical climax winds down slowly through two additional tracks, "One True Thing" and "From Now On", both musical aperitifs that slowly draw the album to a close.

Gregory Douglass brings his intriguing voice to bear against the stark backdrop of dreams on Lucid. The result is downright compelling at times. Douglass creates musical intrigue with a newfound love of electronic layering, but this is a double-edged sword at times, as it also fills in the nuance of his songwriting at times, leveling the sonic landscape and creating a sense of continuity that is, at times oppressive. Like many experiments, Lucid has its moments of grandeur and glitz, as well as moments soon forgotten, but the album marks the continued evolution of Douglass as an artist. There's little doubt that Douglass learned as much from this project as listeners will from listening, and will continue to build on those lessons as he moves forward. For now, Lucid, remains a compelling experiment from a prodigious artist; one very much worth exploring.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Gregory Douglass at www.gregorydouglass.com or www.myspace.com/gregorydouglass. 

Emmanuella Grace - London Stories

Emmanuella Grace - London Stories
2011, Emmanuella Grace

Emmanuella Grace is an Australian-born, London-based singer/songwriter who has performed all over Europe and Australia.  Classically trained, Grace studied musical theater and jazz at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane.  With appearances at Sydney Opera House, The Barbican and Royal Albert Hall, Emmanuella Grace is a seasoned performer.  Emmanuella Grace recently released her debut album, London Stories.  Produced by Snowy Raphael, London Stories will open your eyes to a brilliant young story-teller and songwriter.

London Stories opens with "Butterfly", a picture-perfect introduction in solid pop dressing.  The title is pure allegory for Grace's voice, which grows from a solid, pretty alto into a fluttery upper range.  The tune is catchy, and the piano/synth-driven pop arrangement makes for a great start.  "Kentish Town Laundry" is an intriguing look at life and decay, following the lives of those in a small suburban Laundromat.  Grace uses distinctive imagery to detail the melancholy and grace of people just trying to get by.  It's a gorgeous piece of songwriting that is both poetically and sonically pleasing.  On "Words Aren't Enough", an abusive ex is put in his place, with the narrator standing for herself and taking control.  This will be a song of significance for anyone who has ever been there.  Well written, the song is full of an honest power, carried by a melody that grabs you.

"Share The Covers" is a reconciliation waltz.  Emmanuella Grace gives her best vocal performance of the album while using strings to fill out the arrangement.  Emotive and real, there's a distinctly theatrical feel here.  It wouldn't be surprising to find "Share The Covers" licensed out to a television show or movie in the near future.  "Here Today" is a solid album track, but does get a bit too repetitive at the end.  "Upside Of Anger" is a re-evaluation done in ballad form.  Grace builds tension throughout the song, taking off into a breathy soprano range that surprises.  "Soho" is brilliant.  Grace captures the manic air of London's famed neighborhood in a song of theatrical style and temperament.  Hints of Julie McKee and Nellie McKay are evident here, and it’s abundantly clear that Grace had a lot of fun on this recording.  London Stories closes with "Cocaine", an intriguing musical monologue that seems to be written from both inside and outside the clutches of its subject.  It's an intriguing closer, from the manic implications to the flat line portrayal played out in synth tones.

Emmanuella Grace is striking both in appearance and sound, building deep impressions in listeners even through recorded media.  At the same time, there is a sense of distance, as if Grace is holding something back at times.  She sheds that air on the last two tracks, but there is the risk that Emmanuelle Grace is at times more connected to her stories than to the listeners.  This isn't detrimental, as Grace is an absolutely spell-binding story-teller.  And the personal connection thing may well be there live, but it doesn't quite translate on CD.  If Emmanuella Grace ever puts the three together, she's going to rock the world, figuratively speaking.  For now, London Stories is a very impressive debut.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Emmanuella Grace at http://www.emmanuellagrace.com/ or www.myspace.com/emmanuellagrace.  London Stories is available on CD from Emmanuella Grace’s webstore.  Digital versions of the album are available from both Amazon.com and iTunes.

Review: Misty Boyce - Misty Boyce

Misty Boyce - Misty Boyce
2010, Modern Vintage Recordings

New Mexico native and New York City-based Misty Boyce got her feet wet as a professional musician playing keyboard for The Naked Brothers Band. Don’t let her tween-pop roots fool you, however; Boyce is a serious songwriter in her own right, with a drop-dead voice and a style that compares well against folks like Regina Sarah Slean, Regina Spektor and Tori Amos. Boyce’s debut album, Misty Boyce, is due out on March 30, 2010 on Modern Vintage Recordings

Boyce opens with “Razors”, a jaunty, angry tune very much in the style of Sarah Slean. Boyce admonishes an old love to go away, although methinks she doth protest too much. It’s a great composition, and the layered vocal harmonies are a great accent. “Trouble” is a highly stylistic ballad; a sad soliloquy from a broker person who’s taken satisfaction in being broken but is now turning away someone who would be good for her for fear she’ll ruin him. It’s a case of tragic redemption through self-sacrifice. Boyce surrounds this story with gorgeous instrumentation and a near-perfect arrangement. Boyce gets a bit more pop-oriented on “Be A Man”. Written from the perspective of a child acting out because of a divorce in the family and a new woman in dad’s life, “Trouble” is an amazingly stark and potent bit of songwriting. Don’t be surprised if this one gets licensed for movies and television

“How Long” is a delicious mix of intense emotions in a stark arrangement and a distinctive pop sensibility. “Regrets” seems more rueful than anything else, mixing regret and a positive outlook in a viable power-pop arrangement that works well for Boyce. The best pop songwriting on the album comes in the form of “Love You Down”, a song that might win the title as “ultimate come-on song”. Do not be surprised if “Love You Down” becomes a mix-tape favorite. Boyce wears her heart on her sleeve on “Slow Burn”, a nearly mournful tune of devotion. The arrangement Boyce crafted for “Slow Burn” is a gorgeous mix of dark and light; hope and pain. “Dutch Girls” is stark and needful; a song about loneliness in a digital age where we are drawn closer and closer to each other even as we grow more confined within our digital walls. There is an over-arching sense of loss that runs throughout Misty Boyce, which turns out to be something of a post-breakup album. Boyce doesn’t leave you mired in the emotional ruins however, ending up in the self-awareness and hope of “Snowed In”. “Snowed In” finds Boyce forced to stop for a day and see her life as it is; and realizing that things are okay. It’s not healing, per se, but certainly a sign that all will be well.

Misty Boyce announces Boyce to be a musical force to be reckoned with. Comparisons to Regina Spektor, Sarah Slean and Tori Amos are all well-founded, but Boyce is her own songwriter, and one senses that over time her sound might become even more distinctive. As a freshman effort, Misty Boyce approaches brilliance.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Misty Boyce at http://www.mistyboyce.com/ or www.myspace.com/mistyboyce. Misty Boyce drops on March 30, 2010. You can pre-order the album as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Alan Semerdjian - The Big Beauty

Alan Semerdjian - The Big Beauty
2009, Alan Arts Music

Alan Semerdjian has created a circle with his music where life feeds art and art feeds life. As the front man for New York City band Surreal for most of the 1990’s, Semerdjian toured the East Coast of the United State many times over, sharing the stage with a who’s who of bands and artists and writing music that still gets used periodically for television and movies. These days, Semerdjian is on his own, playing a quirky brand of Alt-Pop mixed with Americana. And I wouldn’t say he’s entirely on his own, as Semerdjian collaborates with an impressive list of friends (including Jen Chapin, Daniel Carter, Nick Gianni and Chris Barron (Spin Doctors)). Semerdjian’s latest release, The Big Beauty, encompasses all of the melodic and lyric charms fans have become accustomed to in a slightly more refined package. The Big Beauty is produced by Rilo Kiley's Michael Bloom, and features Franz Nicholay (Hold Steady), Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor), Dave Diamond (Zen Trickers) and Philip A. Jimenez (Wheatus) among others.

The Big Beauty opens with Your Love, a distinctive melody wrapped in gorgeous harmonies and an Americana-Pop arrangement you won't be able to get out of your brain. This leads into I Can't Tell You How; strong active Americana-Rock that reminds me of what you might hear if Ron Hawkins were ever to jam with the likes of Blue Rodeo. Semerdjian has a couple of WOW moments on The Big Beauty, and the first one arrives three songs in. Bad Dreams is an amazing take on loving someone who is perhaps not emotionally stable. Lyrically, musically and vocally this song is flawless. You Can Run finds Semerdjian taking a Chris Isaak turn with a beautiful yet melancholy tale.

Hole In Your Home is highly textured in arrangement and equally emotive. The two distinctly percussive natures (one literal, the other emotional) come together to create a powerful moment in song. The sometimes shadowing and sometimes juxtaposed natures of these two rhythms seem to echo relationships as the members fall in and out of sync repeatedly over time. Semerdjian rips off the roof on Everything (She's Still The Best). Fans of early Skydiggers/Cash Brothers will listen to this with distinct joy. Semerdjian dishes out a bit of sleight of hand here, opening with a prologue that speaks to his Armenian heritage before slowly transitioning into a driving folk/country arrangement that won't allow you to sit still. Stephanie is a love song that takes a disastrous turn. Keep your game face on, as the lyrics will get a smile out of your before they're done.

Melody combines elements of Jazz, Funk and Blues in a tune that is alternately pensive and busy (perhaps at times too much so). This is a great listen, but does border on becoming too muddy at moments. When There Was Something Wrong With You is the other real WOW moment on The Big Beauty. Semerdjian has crafted an arrangement you won't want to end. This is true ear candy. AM Radio changes pace with a full, multi-layered sound wrapped around an unforgettable melody that's very much down tempo.

Alan Semerdjian has one of those voices you could listen to all day. Take care you don't get so into his voice that you miss on out on the wonderful musicianship, distinctive lyrical style and songwriting that comprise The Big Beauty. Alan Semerdjian has been a critical favorite for a long time, and carries a lot of respect from fellow musicians, but its baffling how he hasn't broken through into the social conscience of a music scene crying for talent like this. The Big Beauty is required listening from an essentially talent. Make sure you spend some time with Alan Semerdjian soon.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alan Semerdjian at http://www.alanarts.com/, http://www.alansemerdjian.com/ or www.myspace.com/semerdjian. The Big Beauty hits the street on September 1, 2009. You can purchase a copy of The Big Beauty at www.cdbaby.com/cd/semerdjian2, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Dune Tran - Heart Anchors

Dune Tran - Heart Anchors
2009, Dune Tran

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada native Dune Tran relocated to San Francisco in 2001. Getting a late start on a music career, Tran never learned guitar until the age of 21, and piano until she was 24. Tran has wasted no time putting her skills to use, spending some time singing backup vocals for San Francisco’s Leilujh before taking the solo route. 2009 sees Tran’s hard work come to fruition with the release of her debut album, Heart Anchors.

Heart Anchors has some great moments, from Tran's Tori Amos-inspired piano playing to the occasional sprinkling of gorgeous pop moments. Tran sings with raw emotion and a sweet voice with just a bit of an edge. On songs like All, Tran has an essential likability that comes across in the music. All is a sweet love song, ready for mix-tape exposure, but on the vocal side Tran shows the occasional big flaw (like pitch issues here and there). One gets the idea that Tran doesn't care, she just enjoys singing. That joy is infectious enough that the listener will overlook some of these small things and really get into the songs. Silence is a gorgeous and emotionally raw bit of personal biography about a relationship that's caught in between two phases. On songs like Daydreams, Tran proves herself to be an apt painter of human emotion in song, laying out the emotional landscape of a relationship in musical forms you can understand.

Tran's loveliest composition on Heart Anchors features Tran, piano and cello. Fading Into Black has a stark beauty and loneliness woven into the instrumentation that is more telling than any lyric. Elements of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan can be heard here, but Tran sinks into an original voice that is between those two and yet not of either one. Trans says goodnight with the bruising piano driven song Safety Nets. Fans of early Tori Amos will dig this song, which is extremely well-written aside from any stylistic similarities. Other highlights include Love Underwater and Cannot Reach You.

Dune Tran's Heart Anchors is an intriguing if uneven first effort. Tran show obvious influence from artists such as Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Her best moments come when she plays out those influences into something of her own style. Where Tran tries to be a bit more mainstream the songs lack real personality and fall a bit flat. Dune Tran's voice has a sweetness to it that hides an edge you can never quite put your finger on. My suspicion (and hope) is that this is just the beginning for Tran. There's a lot more music in there, and over time she'll hone her skills further. For now, Heart Anchors is a great start.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Dune Tran at http://www.dunetran.com/ or www.myspace.com/dunetran. You can purchase a copy of Heart Anchors at www.cdbaby.com/cd/dunetran.

Darrelle London - Wildy's World Artist Of The Month, June 2009

Darrelle London is one of the biggest surprises of 2009 for us at Wildy’s World, and we just couldn’t resist making her Wildy’s World’s Artist Of The Month for June, 2009. London is one of those artists who will continuously surprise you. With a voice that recommends an innocent sweetness she can hit you with an acerbic lyrical rush that will leave you breathless; all done with the impish smile of a child. London could be ultra-subtle younger musical cousin of Nellie McKay. Both artists have expansive musical and songwriting talent; employ wit in their songs and can deliver knockout blows with a smile, but where McKay is in your face London is subtle and refined.

With classical training in both piano and voice, Darrelle London quickly began to write her own material. Conquering the restaurant circuit in southern Ontario, London quickly became a force on the Toronto Indie scene. She has since gained significant airplay on college radio in Canada, and has made appearances at WinterFolk, International Pop Overthrow and IndieWeek Canada. London draws audiences in with her cute demeanor and blows them away with a distinct pop musicality and thoughtful and incisive lyrics that keep listeners on their toes. There is no such thing as a boring performance when it comes to Darrelle London; she enjoys performing and writing and it shines through on every note of every song.

Darrelle London gave up law school to pursue a career in music. It won’t be too long before that decision is officially vindicated. It’s rare for a talent of this magnitude to come along, encompassing songwriting, performance, personality, charisma and a pop sensibility that may just rival that 60’s quartet from Liverpool. Check out Darrelle London’s debut CD, Edible Word Parade, and you’ll see what I mean. Darrelle London currently has a handful of shows scheduled for Toronto and London, Ontario throughout the summer. Keep checking her website for more dates. We’ll be talking more about Darrelle London as the month progresses, so make sure you take the time to check her out. Learn more at http://www.darrellelondon.com/ or www.myspace.com/darrellelondon. You can also check out videos for her songs Understand and Two Roads on YouTube.

Review: Darrelle London - Edible Word Parade

Darrelle London - Edible Word Parade
2009, Darrelle London

Sometimes a CD will come along and just blindside you with how good it is. Darrelle London’s Edible Word Parade is just such a CD. The Toronto resident (and former farm girl) is classically trained in both piano and voice, and was smart enough to get into Law school. She was also smart enough to know that music is where she belongs, and has garnered a lot of attention in a short time on the Toronto circuit. With a sweet voice that belies her sophistication, London will disarm you with her charm, butter you up with her wit, and drive her message home with an unmerciful sweetness accompanied by melodies that make you want to sing along.

London uses her personal brand of quirky, piano-based pop; combines it with a sweetly beautiful voice reminiscent of Lisa Loeb and an almost child-like simplicity to disarm listeners and create a listening experience you'll never see coming. London writes honest words about honest emotions and events with glibness that is compelling, telling stories about adult relationships with a child's candor and grace. Her songs are a melodically ecstatic segue into musical neuroses of the type caused by human relationships.

Edible Word Parade opens with Understand, a request for patience from someone who is falling in love but needing to go slow and grow into what she's feeling. Selfish is a wonderfully written song about two people who are together in spite of sharing the same bad qualities; a lesson in attraction for all the wrong reasons. Bad is a revelatory pop song, and one of the peppiest songs of heart break you will ever hear. London flashes songwriting brilliance on The Game, calling out someone who plays in relationships rather than participating in them. The Game is brutally honest, but delivered with a sweetness that is so counter-intuitive it makes perfect sense.

Crystal Clear is something of a tactile love song, told in terms of moments, experiences and sensations. The song is sweet, uncomplicated and full of love, and it's built around an unusually charming bridge and chorus that will stick in your head for days. Two Roads is a remarkably mature and subtle look back at a failed relationship. The protagonist begs her former partner not to ask her to come back, fearing she won't have the strength to say no. You're The Star is one of those songs that most people will find a connection because we've all known someone like the person described within. London displays her ability to capture emotions, moments and people in song with pitch-perfect clarity here. These Days is a deeply melodic exploration of someone living in the midst of heartache. London seemingly finds hope amid the vortex of emotions of a life torn asunder. London closes with Work Out Fine, another sweet love song expressing hope based on the ineffable quirks of a couple. The ability to understand one another without saying a word is the example London keeps coming back to, and she lays it out in a way that's both artistic and emotionally sincere.

No, I didn't see this one coming. Darrelle London has created an amazing album full of sweetness and light, wrapped up in near-perfect pop confections. Her voice is has qualities of sweetness and beauty that make you want to listen to her all day, and the brutally honest yet child-like and innocent quality of her lyrics will draw you in. Edible Word Parade gets our highest recommendation, as a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Put this one on the top of your "get" list.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Darrelle London at www.myspace.com/darrellelondon or http://www.darrellelondon.com/. You can download Edible Word Parade from iTunes without difficulty, but getting a hard copy on CD is a little more challenging. Indie Record Stores in Canada may have it, specifically SonicBoom, SoundScapes or Criminal Records, all in Toronto.

Review: Alyse Black - Too Much & Too Lovely

Alyse Black – Too Much & Too Lovely
2007, Little Cherubine Records

Seattle’s Alyse Black is a master of misdirection. Anyone who has heard her sing and play knows she’s headed for big things, but she almost missed her calling. A completed but never submitted application to Juilliard was the first step to business school and the corporate world, but Black just couldn’t hide from her muse. Alyse Black sings with the soul of Billie Holliday, the panache of Tori Amos and the whimsical glee of Regina Spektor. Her latest release, Too Much & Too Lovely is a smashing introduction to an artist who defies genre and description.

Imagine Sarah Slean meeting Fiona Apple and Tori Amos for lunch, and Billie Holliday and Regina Spektor stopped over to the table to say high. Somewhere in there you’ll find most of the qualities that Alyse Black brings to Too Much & Too Lovely. Her voice is drop-dead gorgeous, with a strongly sensuous sound that hearkens back to the great ladies of jazz. The music is decidedly modern with serious nods to that other era. Emeline opens the set as a peppy pop/rock song with an almost campy Vegas feel to it. Wouldn’t It Be Nice is the sound you’d get out of Norah Jones if she could project attitude. Complete With Sound Effects is one of the high water marks of the album. The song takes on consumerism and all of the bells and whistles that get people to needlessly open their wallets; or it could be a neat little indictment of the music industry.

Sally All My Days is a song about the sort of love that can move the world. In this case it’s about a sister, but the song is particularly touching and honest. Shy captures the stage in a relationship where fear and excitement wrestle for dominance perfectly, while Love Tonight? is full of the confidence of love. Be sure to check out Call It Quits, a bit of Tori Amos-style musical pathos that questions a relationship simply on the basis that so many fail. I particularly enjoyed This Machine with its 1970’s Captain and Tennille-style vocal line set against the edgy alternative piano rock compositional style. And don’t miss Too Much & Too Lovely (the title track). Don’t be surprised if this song eventually works its way into the standards songbook.

Alyse Black’s voice and style will garner her significant attention, but it’s her songwriting that seals the deal. Black brings a direct subtlety to her lyrics and backs it up with a panoramic musical experience that runs from jazz to blues to rock and even incorporates the occasional quasi-classical theme. The result is an album that spans genres and sounds to the point that it borders on transcending popular music. There are a couple of slow moments on Too Much & Too Lovely, but on the whole the album is excellent.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alyse Black at http://www.alyseblack.com/ or www.myspace.com/alyseblack. You can purchase a copy of Too Much & Too Lovely at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alyseblack.

Review: Melissa Axel - Transition [EP]

Melissa Axel – Transition
2009, Melissa Axel

Denver’s Melissa Axel is a woman with a piano. Following in the footsteps of Tori Amos, Axel uses the piano as more than just an instrument, it is the narrow focus through which she delineates the world using her personal perspective. The Berklee College of Music grad is working on a full length album at the moment, but in the mean time sent along her first EP, Transition, for review.

Axel has an interesting and pleasant voice that is deep and full, with a lot of implied strength. There’s no breathy pop maven quality here, but a sound reminiscent of earth and nature. Consequently Axel puts the listener instantly at easy (la Carly Simon or Joan Baez). The music is quite enjoyable as well, but Axel does run into some issues with the wordiness of her songs. Axel comes across as well spoken in her songs, but is wordy to the point of losing the listener at times. Fall This Hard opens the set with a wonderful piano and violin-sourced Pop ballad. This song is lovely and a joy to listen to and Axel manages to stay somewhat lyrically succinct. On Transition (No More Fairytales), Axel delivers what sounds like a Broadway soliloquy in song. The word count rises here and borders on distraction, but the song is so good it doesn’t quite intrude on the listening experience. By the time we get to Transparency and Madness the verbosity has become too much to bear. This is unfortunate as its somewhere in here that many listeners may choose to turn off the disc; the best song is yet to come. Transition closes out with Out Of Nowhere. Axel has reined herself in here, delivering a gorgeous piano/pop ballad with incredible harmonies.

Melissa Axel has a voice you’ll love listening to, and when she stays in control of the lyrics her songs are a pleasure. Axel appears to have a tendency toward extreme verbosity in her lyrics that detracts from the essential beauty of the music she writes. When Axel controls this tendency the results are sublime. Transition is a pleasure when she does and a difficult listen when she does not.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Melissa Axel at http://www.melissaaxel.com/ or www.myspace.com/melissaaxel. You can purchase a copy of Transition at www.cdbaby.com/cd/melissaaxel3.

Review: Ben Folds - Way To Normal

Ben Folds - Way To Normal

2008, Sony Records

Ben Folds has walked the outer edge of pop stardom ever since the release of his first band's eponymous debut in 1995. Ben Folds Five reminded the rock world that pianos can rock, and also reminded rock and roll that its roots were in irreverence and true rebellion against the norm (not surveyed, pre-prepackaged rebellion at $18.98 per CD). Ben Folds has always told you exactly what he thinks, and has not mellowed (much) with success. Politically, fashionably and (sometimes) socially incorrect, Folds just tells stories his own way. Sometimes they're tongue in cheek and sometimes they're deadly serious -- you're never entirely sure which is which, but Folds is always brutally honest. Folds' eighth full-length release, Way To Normal, continues the brutal honesty, wit, intelligence and cutting edge pop/rock/punk style that Folds has become widely known for.

Folds has always been the bastard son of Billy Joel, embracing honesty and irreverence in the same fashion as many of Joel's classic recordings. Folds definitely has his own voice as a piano player and composer, but you can clearly see the lineage on Way To Normal. The album opens with Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head) details Fold's fall off of a stage in Japan. It's a funny story told in Folds' distinctive style with a sing-along chorus and memorable melody. Dr. Yang is the sort of frenetic composition that Folds' fans have loved since his Ben Folds Five days. The song would appear to mock all that we will put ourselves through in order feel our best. Folds teams up with the eccentric Regina Spektor on You Don't Know Me. You Don't Know Me has a metronomic quality to it and has actually become one of my favorite songs on the album. Spektor's voice is heavenly and wraps around Folds' voice like a snug undergarment.

Before Cologne is like a piano suite that introduces Cologne, which is one of Fold's most beautiful compositions to date. The serene melody and lush musical landscape created by Folds here stands in stark counterpoint to the storyline held within. Errant Dog is typical Folds. The song is funny and rough-hewn with the classic piano/bass/drums arrangement that seems to mark Folds at his best. Free Coffee allows Folds to turn his piano into the headwinds of funk, and also serves as the repository of the introduction to The Bitch Went Nuts. This is the most outlandishly funny moment on the album, continuing the tradition of tongue-in-cheek misogyny that Folds engages in from time to time. It's tongue in cheek because Folds is as much a misogynist as Randy Newman is racist. Both Folds and Newman have a little fun with fans and critics alike by creating true to life caricatures and giving them life in musical soliloquies that don't comply with the PC standards of the day. The song is well written and highly entertaining.

Brainwascht is a straight forward pop song done Folds-style with a little not-so-gentle irony thrown in for good measure. Effington starts out with a glee-club style chorus, complete with mixolydian harmonies. Effington is a vast word-play steeped in double-entendre and an almost Pleasantville-like vision. This may be Folds at his most musically creative. The song is stunning in it breadth of its vision and scope. I found myself in awe the first time Effington played, particularly because Folds is confident enough to marry what may be his boldest composition with a subject that is something of a humorous anecdote. Folds closes out Way To Normal with a return to his most personal and serious songwriting with Kylie From Connecticut. Once again we have a beautiful composition and lyrics that are based in a fractured relationship.

Folds may write about heartbreak better than anyone in the popular music sphere. When he writes about it in serious terms he avoids cliché and musical perseveration by drilling right to the heart of matter and speaking in unusually bold and honest terms. When he's writing from anger or humor (they're often the same), there's not a songwriter in Rock N Roll who's more entertaining. Way To Normal continues Fold's progression from punk rock pianist to consummate Rock N Roll composer. Folds embodies the near virtuosic composer status of Elton John and the irreverent rock toughness of Billy Joel, with a health dose of Generation-X awkwardness thrown in. Way To Normal is an embodiment of all these things, and proves once again that Folds is one of the most innovative and exciting performers in popular music. Way To Normal is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Make sure you give this one a spin.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ben Folds at http://www.benfolds.com/. You can purchase a copy of Way To Normal at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold. Way To Normal is also available as a limited edition CD/DVD combo, and an even more limited CD/DVD/Vinyl combo that retails for $100. (What's Sony thinking?)