Ben Kweller - On My Way

Ben Kweller is right up there with Andrew WK as one of the nicest guys in rock. His good attitude combined with youthful energy and freshness make it hard not to like the guy. However, while Kweller has clearly grown up a bit and that maturity is evident in the songs on On My Way, somehow it just doesn’t seem as fun this time around. I felt it was important to mention how likeable Kweller is as a person because before ever hearing this disc I really wanted it to be good. Unfortunately, after my first listen I was somewhat disappointed, and despite allowing some time for it to grow on me it still hasn’t really lived up to my hopes. Now with that said, I don’t mean to imply that I think the album is bad. It is actually pretty good, and songs like “Hospital Bed” and the really groovy “The Rules” are classically great Ben Kweller songs. However, tracks like “My Apartment” and “Living Life” lose my attention and break the flow of the album. My overall disappointment comes not so much from lack of quality content but from the album not living up to Sha Sha and not feeling strong as a whole. It is clear to me that with On My Way Ben Kweller is trying to show a more grown-up and serious side of his songwriting. However, part of what makes Kweller’s music so great is the exuberance and almost cheekiness of his songs. For me personally, that made On My Way seem like a mediocre album from a very talented, nice guy. Sorry Ben. [www.benkweller.com]