Review by MusicBox
3 stars out of 4
There's something wildly amusing about Ben Folds' solo project. Perhaps
it's that he takes the "penname" Fear of Pop when his band is a power
pop based trio. Or maybe it's that the pre-destined piano man has abandoned
his pop roots and has taken to some mutant mix of trip hop and electronica.
Folds' certainly hasn't gone conventional on this album. His guests
include William Shatner and his wife Frally's screaming vocals. The events
these songs are based on could probably not be any more different. From
paying too much for a bad movie to being stopped by the police, Folds
tells his audience some interesting tales with a piano, drums, and cello
(just to name a few) backing him up. One song's entire lyrics are based
on a mispronunciation of his bandmate's (Robert Sledge) name and features
his band's first single "Brick" as the fast paced intro. Fans of Ben
Folds Five may find this album too far of a stretch of Folds' musical
limits to be considered good, but it's hard not to recognize the talent
that Folds has in all genres of music. His spirit never falters and his
dedication to his own incredibly unique ideas is part of what makes Fear
of Pop so intriguingly good.
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