paragiraffe

I got two new albums last week, Ben Kweller’s self-titled and Barenaked Ladies Are Me. I thought it was kind of interesting that critics are calling both of these more mature than previous efforts, and I thought I could use this as a clever segue to talk about both of them in one post, although I’ve surely ruined that now by telling you about it.

Now, I’ve liked Ben Kweller in the past. I’ve liked his songs and thought they were quirky and cute and loved that he used piano. This new album, though, I really like. While not perfect, it’s definitely more mature, and it’s still cute and happy. “Penny on the Train Track” is the best one, although I also really like the opener, “Run.”

Since fifteen I have ran everywhere you can run
But with you it’s much more fun
So let’s run let’s run let’s run

Mature is kind of a funny word to use for the newest album from a band almost 20 years old, but in this case, it’s true. I’m not into Barnaked Ladies like I was in high school, but I wanted to try this new one out, especially since you can buy it on eMusic, because they’ve gone back to their indie band roots. I never got into Everything to Everyone, but Barenaked Ladies Are Me, at the very least, exceeded my expectations. I’ve always enjoyed BNL’s ability to mix funny songs with seriously poignant songs (“For You,” “Break Your Heart,” and “Off the Hook” just kill me), and they haven’t departed from that here. My favorite is probably “Take It Back.”

---