With the tragic death of Elliot Smith last year, the "Most Prolific Singer-Songwriter" throne has been left up for grabs. Recent releases from Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright and Ryan Adams have all made claims for this title, achieving moderate success in the effort thanks to the various musical and compositional talents of the artists.
Enter Ben Kweller. If you only know him from his recent sold-out Starr Hill performance, Kweller began his career at age 16, fronting the much-hyped Texas band Radish. The band split after one album, leaving Kweller to pursue a solo career. His debut LP, "Sha-Sha," was an enjoyable slice of carefree college rock, encapsulating both the spontaneity and the melancholy of the emotional rollercoaster that is youth.
Kweller's follow-up to this promising start is "On My Way." Since his debut, Kweller has attained notoriety as a songwriter and gotten married, and his fittingly-titled album creates a sense of a man on his way to a mature songwriting style. While an ultimately enjoyable and completely inoffensive listen, "On My Way" fails to create a unique sound for Kweller to distinguish himself from the droves of guitar-toting, heartbroken troubadours competing for the singer-songwriter crown.
The melodies on the album draw heavily from the Beatles, the Stones and pretty much any other 60s rock artists you can name. While Kweller often throws in a crunchy, distorted guitar for variety, he is at his strongest conveying the simple beauty of his melodies through a piano, harmonica or acoustic guitar. "Living Life," one of the album's most affecting tracks, begins with a simple piano melody and Kweller's unassuming voice before developing into a life-affirming declaration of individuality.
Kweller's main weakness is his lyrics. With music as simple as this, lyrics are incredibly important in creating unique and memorable trademark. Kweller's literal, straight-forward lyrical style has a certain amount of charm, but quickly falls flat after countless lyrical clichés and easy rhymes. On album opener "Need You Back," he delivers the line: "I need you back/I need you here/to take away all of my pain/and then my fear." And "My Apartment" is a four-minute pop song about -- you guessed it -- Kweller's apartment. I'm not asking for musings on the meaning of life here, but Kweller needs to try a little harder to get out of the uninspiring lyrical rut that plagues him.
Kweller's subject matter falls into two camps. Most of his songs deal simply and honestly with the ups and downs of young love, from the stance of a confused young romantic. Occasionally, though, he takes a stab at teenage rebellion, attempting to paint himself as a determined nonconformist. On "The Rules," the album's most punk-influenced track, Kweller delivers the chorus: "Show me all the rules, girl/I just want to get 'em wrong." But as hard as he tries to be bad, he still sounds more like a nerdy high school kid trying to win over a girl than a rebel without a cause.
Kweller's vocal delivery is another low point of the album. His falsetto sounds strained and his scream is entirely unconvincing. This restricts the vocals on every song to Kweller's limited high tenor and further detracts from the variety of the music.
Thankfully, the second half of the album is home to some exceptional songs and helps to pick up the slack from its lackluster opening. "Living Life" and "Believer" showcase Kweller's undeniable gift for classic, Beatles-esque melody. And the Kinks-influenced "Ann Disaster" comes closest to recreating the youthful, bratty energy of his old band.
The album's high point comes at its deserving first single, "Hear Me Out." Here, a restrained harmonica and guitar opening lead into a rousing and fun chorus that manages to transcend Kweller's lyrical shortcomings, creating a near-perfect pop anthem. Moments like these remind the listener of Kweller's appeal, as he pinpoints the frustration brought on by unreciprocated romantic advances in a lightweight and charismatic fashion.
Without Elliot Smith's lyrical profundity, Rufus Wainwright's vocal range or recording pal Ben Folds' virtuoso piano playing, too many of Kweller's songs reside in the blandest of singer-songwriter territory. Still, thanks to a strong batch of songs toward its end, the album does not fail to be enjoyable as a whole. Kweller's nice-guy charm and sense of melody are remarkable, especially considering his young age. He has created a collection of American pop songs that will surely please most rock fans of any era. All he needs is some time to develop a unique voice to make him stand out and create a lasting impression among his singer-songwriter colleagues. And in a few years, we may have a new heir to the throne.
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