“…the only thing that’s real are the kids that kid themselves…”
Ben Kweller – “In Other Words”
Man, I wish that by the age of twenty I had the resume this kid has:
– A critically acclaimed solo debut (Sha Sha, released July 22 on Dave Matthews’ ATO Records);
– Opening slots for Matthews, Juliana Hatfield and Evan Dando;
– Comparisons to Beck, Wilco, Weezer, Ben Folds, you name it;
– Emo cuties swooning over his every word;
– At 16, part of Radish, a punk trio that was touted as, don’t laugh, “the next Silverchair,” and featured on Conan O’Brien.
Is that enough to get you interested? Unfortunately, I’m a music geek and proud music snob – partly because I have great taste and partly because I’m jealous my high school and college bands never made it while SILVERCHAIR did. No, I’m not bitter. But, when the Hype Machine tells me “you HAVE to listen to BK,†the built-up cynicism kicks right in.
The first thing I noticed about this CD was how immature and cliché his lyrics can be. One song with “sha sha” in the chorus is excusable, even cute. But after sitting through the “bop bops†of “Family Tree†and the innovative “ooh ooh ooh ooh oooh ah ah ah†of “Commerce, TX†– that’s baby-speak in three of the first four songs! – I was on the verge of hitting stop on my reliable disc-man.
Yet there’s something charming about Ben Kweller, and some smart melodies that made me curious to hear more. “Wasted and Ready†is basically a Weezer song, with Ben doing his best Rivers Cuomo impersonation while singing about sex, credit cards and spaghetti. But at least it put a smile on my face — no joke. “In Other Words†and “Walk on Me†are innocent reflections, reminding you of that high school girlfriend you don’t talk to anymore. I don’t remember the last time a ‘new record’ had that effect on me.
