Ben Folds - Jesusland (Epic)
3/5
By: Kevin Molloy
Since Ben lost his 'five' he's consistently failed to chalk up anything that might attract as much attention as 'Whatever and Ever Amen'. 'Jesusland' is no exception. The keys are still tinkling away, but there's no driving force here; the voice is still sweet, but now verges on the saccharine; he's still singing words, but they sure don't mean as much as they used to.
The virtuoso in Ben Folds seems to have been tamed to perform the tasks of lesser artists: the day is fast approaching where his songs will be indistinguishable from Rob Thomas', and any ex-boyband member with good songwriters. Be it because of aging, inherent boredom, or concern with record sales to the middle-of-the-road middle-aged bracket... 'Jesusland' provides pleasant enough sounds, but with the potential shown in those halcyon days of the 'Five, this feels like the confirmation of a long period of being let down.
Artists in this article: Ben Folds
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