Sha Sha

by

Ben Kweller

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If Ben Folds' "Rocking the Suburbs" album is a glossy, new issue of Spin magazine, Ben Kweller's album "Sha Sha" is a handmade, personalized 'zine from a good friend.

From the opening piano on "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)" to the last "Ahh"s and "Ba ba"s on "Falling," Ben Kweller is amazing. Maybe this is because he's my age (20-ish), and multi-talented (guitarist/pianist/lyricist), but he just gets my goose with this album. I bought it after seeing him open for Dashboard Confessional in March, and I thought he was adorable. After the show, I hugged him, and the boy hugs tightly! Listening to this album is like that hug: it grabs you by surprise and it just won't let go until it's ready.

"Wasted and Ready," "Commerce, TX," "In Other Words," and "Harriet's Got a Song" are my current favorites, but all the other songs are great, too. Some songs rock, some songs are mellow, but they're all catchy and interesting.

Bottom line: If you like Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, even the Get Up Kids, you're bound to enjoy Ben Kweller.

"Sha Sha. Sha do." Following in the footsteps of Ben Folds, Ben Kweller is taking piano driven pop to a new level. This multi- instrumental 20-year-old from Texas is formerly of the band Radish, but went solo not too long ago. His debut album Sha Sha offers slightly cynnical, but infectiously happy acoustic effort.

Kweller's years of piano playing pay off in the first track, "How It Should Be (Sha Sha)," while he requests to not bother him while he's watching "Planet of the Apes on T.V." His lyrical comedy is featured in the first track, which says a lot about how he views life. A slut, sex, and spaghetti all combine to create one of the catchiest songs on the album, "Wasted and Ready."

His musical talent is apparent in the guitar playing on "Harriet's Got a Song," "No Reason," and "Commerce, TX," and his piano skills are looped in and out of the tracks on the CD. Songs like "Walk on Me," show the sometimes cynical and desperate aspect of love as he begs for mercy from cold hearted lover. "Falling," the final track on the CD, which appeared on the Mr. Deeds soundtrack, offers an upbeat ending to the rather indifferent sounds of the rest of the album.

Although at times non-chalant, Kweller exudes passion for music Sha Sha. The album, though rough around the edges, is a geniue, modest start for Kweller.. He still needs to mature lyrically, but he does have a good mix of comedy them--even if means rhyming "Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti/I am wasted but I'm ready." Sha Sha serves up some hope for a successful career for Kweller in the future.

While melodic and catchy, his lyrics remain introspective, yet youthful. And though some of the lyrics contain strange and ironic ideas, he still manages to embody "just want to be loved" ideal of late teens and early 20's. His enthusiasm for music shines through nonetheless, which enthusiasm alone for creating quality music and interesting lyrics are reason enough to invest some of your time in listening to Sha Sha.