Ben Folds

"Songs for Silverman"

Grade: B+

Sony BMG Music Entertainment (epic)

Ben Folds' second solo album, "Songs for Silverman," has landed.

Folds' new lukewarm sound makes anyone want to cuddle up to a CD player and fall asleep.

The name of the album, "Silverman," does not matter nor does it give an idea of what the album encompasses.

Sure, Folds begins rather bluntly with the track, "Bastard." In which he claims "why you gotta act like you know when you don't know."

Well Ben, anyone would know the vocals and piano each gather for a rather harmonious mix of melodies to create the best chill-down album for the summer.

The '70s tunes splashes into each track with a familiar beat.

Each track proves the extent of Folds as an artist. Different relationships are scattered throughout this album., from talking about a father daughter relationship in "Gracie," to a guy who cannot give his heart to a girl who does not care about him inÊ"Give Judy My Notice."

His mellow voice passes through each relationship in the album and always ends the same way it began. The tracks have an ironic theme of Folds' standing up for himself and telling it like it is in each song.

"Jesusland" sounds like a perfect song for driving into a town by the shuffling percussion. But don't let the melody fool; the song could be a stab in the back for those who use their Christianity to gain profits.

Folds' voice paints a portrait of a shy guy with rage-fully sweet poetry booming inside of him that slowly falls into his fingers on a piano as a slap in the face.

"Songs for Silverman," may not be platinum right now but, "time takes time you know."

-- By Lydia Earhart, Staff Writer