At first Ben Kweller striked me as a person who would be considered a John Mayer wanna be. Someone who got a lucky break when Evan Dando of the band "The Lemonheads" asked him to go tour with him. I've listened to a couple of his singles off of his latter albums Like "Sundress," and was wondering when I would hear them on the next major chick flick movie. Not bad, but missing something. Someone who girls would coo and drool over. Basically not my type of music and then I stumbled upon his new release "Changing Horses."
At the time I don't know what convinced me to put the album in and give it a good listen too. However I am more then happy that I did. The album starts off with "Gypsy Rose" a down right country/folk song that pulled me into the music like an old Hank William song. The next song "Old Hat" is my favorite on the album. The slide guitar is perfectly used to set the mood and pull the heart strings it had me searching for my cell phone calling girls from the past. The album sets a tone through out of love and past loves but does it in a way that is fun, catchy, and soulful. The Ballad of Wendy Baker helps you get on a little more personal side with Ben as he touches on a lost love while "Things I like to Do," will help you put your cowboy boots on and do the two step.
I cant help but relate the album to Ryan Adam's "Heartbreaker," and to Bright Eyes's "I'm wide Awake, It's Morning" with a little more falling in love then out of love. It might be to early for me to say this but this album could quit possibly be the best folk-country album out this year. And Ben and Ben fans I apologize for thinking that you were just a wanna be John Mayer.
1. Listen start to finish - 18
2. Listen again within a week - 18
3. Originality - 10
4. Advancement - 16
5. Remorse - 19
Total Rating: 81
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