Send Kweller's New Album On Its Way

In his new album, Kweller claims, "Nothing can bring me down."

Something can, however, bring the listener down. Turns out it's the mediocrity that plagues Kweller's third release, "On My Way."

The April release of Kweller's most recent effort was highly anticipated by those who fell in love with the singer-songwriter's breakout album, "Sha Sha." But by sustaining their music appetite on the album, waiting since 2002 for a follow-up effort from the up-and-coming rock pianist, fans will find that the Kweller of old has long since come and gone.

Nearly every track of "Sha Sha" stood on its own. All had catchy, quotable lyrics and well crafted musical arrangements. In stark contrast, nearly every track of "On My Way" comes up decidedly short.

The album starts off on a promising note, creating the false impression that the whole album will be as delightful as the artist's previous release. "I Need You Back," the opening track, contains the patented Ben Kweller vibrancy that populated his sophomore effort: the vocals are crisp, drum beats lively, and chorus catchy and instantly hummable.

Following this track, however, the album begins to deteriorate.

The songs on Kweller's previous efforts possessed a certain kick and sarcasm that is distinctly absent from almost all the tracks of "On My Way." Lines such as, "It starts stopping when it stops stopping" and, "Everyone loves a situation" from "Sha Sha's" tracks were charming in their seemingly nonsensical, yet thoughtful nature.

However, the lyrics on Kweller's latest release are pedestrian and trite. Loyal fans will wonder how a wordsmith such as Kweller has declined to the point of writing songs praising his apartment ("My apartment, the home where I hide/Away from the darkness outside"). The witticisms of his previous efforts have made way for tedious and lackluster lyrical content.

In "On My Way," Kweller has opted for an edgy feel on some of the tracks, with regretful results. "Ann Disaster," is exactly that, and it makes for a painful three minutes. Kweller attempts to sound spiteful with his vocals, but the result is an embarrassing caricature of his emotions. The rock 'n roll screams at the end of the song will make any listener cringe, and provokes pity for the usually subdued and unpretentious artist.

The current popularity of bands like The Strokes and The White Stripes have obviously rubbed off on Kweller. Yet, his emulation is quite ill-advised, for his appeal came largely from his thoughtful songwriting and dynamic piano playing, both of which have been left out of most of the album's tracks.

"On My Way" does contain a few redeeming songs. The aforementioned opening track is the most worthwhile recording included on the album. A few songs later, "Living Life" contains the energy and piano-heavy backing of Kweller classics. Aside from these two tracks though, the only catchy tune is "Hear Me Out," in which Kweller once again proves to be a talented songwriter. The lyrics on "Here" are almost excerpts from a twisted nursery rhyme, with their snappy, nonsense connections.

By and large, the musical and lyrical content of this record manages to constantly disappoint, and the subtlety of Kweller's previous releases seems to have faded. In the past, the banal lyrics of these songs would have been sung with tongue-in-cheek delivery. On this release, however, the listener doesn't get that sense, and the words are sung with a curious and ill-fitting earnestness.

Change isn't a bad thing, and musicians are certainly free to explore new styles and genres. However, Kweller doesn't convince the listener that his new style is a good fit. The musician, known for his shyness on stage, seems uncomfortable with his newfound "rock" feel. He sounds best on tracks that feature the piano power chords of "Sha Sha."

The cover art for the new album is oddly appropriate. It juxtaposes Kweller, in a black sweater vest and indie-rock jeans, with a landscape of hills and brush. Standing with Kweller is a pack of wolves, alongside which Kweller looks particularly ridiculous. Yet, the image is a fitting metaphor for Kweller's new album. In attempting to forgo a piano backing in most of his new songs, and in failing to incorporate his previous golden-boy charm, Kweller finds himself standing all alone on his new release. With only a few glimpses of the musician's tried and true strengths, the album as a whole ends up feeling quite out of place.

Now, only time will tell whether Kweller will be able to regain his sense of irony and subtlety in future endeavors, or if he should simply be thrown to the wolves.