When I first heard about The Bens, a group featuring Ben Folds,Ben Kweller and Ben Lee, my first thought was that it's about timethat these guys got together to make music.
Released in January, the idea to collaborate to make the EP "TheBens" came about when Folds, Kweller and Lee planned a brief tourin Australia. Deciding they should have something to sell at theseshows, the band recorded four songs in Ben Folds' home studio.
Songs found on this particular record had a peculiar habit ofstaying in my head long after I listened to them. Upon firsthearing, they didn't strike me as anything special, but after asecond listen I realized these songs were quite catchy. Now, afteronly a few days, I can't get these bloody songs out of my head.They're that good.
The EP's first track, "Just Pretend," is a catchy acousticguitar and piano number that will give you a melody to be stuck inyour head on those long car drives. The Bens each take a crack atsinging a verse and then round the song off with smooth harmonieson the chorus.
As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. The sameprinciple can be applied to not judging a record by its first song,as The Bens prove on this release. The second song, "Xfire," is adeparture from the sunny acoustics of "Just Pretend" into a dancenumber reminiscent of '80s new wave. "Xfire" starts with a funkyguitar riff soon followed by brilliant keyboard parts and a strongbass. Some parts of the vocal harmonies remind me of Queen, makingthis the strongest track on the EP.
At first I was taken aback by the third track "Stop!," as it hasunnecessary tempo changes during the chorus. After a few listensthough, the song grew on me. I felt a return to that classic '90salternative sound I loved so much back in middle school. You knowwhat? I miss that sound.
The final track, "Bruised," is their own version of an epicalbum-ender, starting out soft and ending strong. "They say goodthings come to those who wait," is a line that really struck me inthe song, as it's going to be hard to wait for another release bythese guys.
Sophomore Donald Moyer, University of Memphis economics major,said he is looking forward to buying the EP.
"Well, Ben Folds is one of my favorite artists of all time,"Moyer said. "I think it's pretty cool that the three of them cancome together under a creative name like The Bens and create goodmusic together."
With all three Bens juggling solo careers, the wait may be onuntil these guys come together again for a recording. If this EP ispromise of what is to come, I say it's well worth the wait.
